Beyond Hope and Despair
by Team Mike
Summary: [DR 3 FUTURE ARC REWRITE] Izuru wakes up from the Neo World Program with the intention of changing. But as he spends time on Jabberwock with the other Remnants, he realizes that neither Hope nor Despair is worth it - just like Monaka did. With her help, they enact a plan that would clash Hope against Despair so much that both would be eliminated. Izuru x Kyoko. Finished.
1. Awakening

**Hey guys. This is a sequel to one of my other fanfictions - The Biggest Challenge Yet. And because of this, the prequel's ending is spoiled in this first chapter. Just thought I'd let you know :P**

My eyes opened slowly, and all I saw was blue.

A blue plastic-like substance that floated above my head.

After a couple seconds, my eyes focused and I could see where I was.

I was in a containment cell. The cold, textured surface of metal surrounded my body.

And then I remembered.

I remembered what I did.

This is the Neo World Program. The program that the Future Foundation built to convert the Remnants of Despair back to the side of Hope.

I am a Remnant of Despair. Thus, I would have been subjected to that treatment.

However, I couldn't let them do that. Their goal wasn't noble enough for me.

No, it wasn't simply about the choice between Hope or Despair.

It was about which was stronger. Which could overpower the other.

I implanted Junko Enoshima as a virus into the Program, to see if the Hope of Chiaki Nanami could overcome it.

This goal was so important that I risked my own life for it. And the lives of fourteen others.

But their lives didn't matter much, anyways.

They were just Ultimates. Just human beings with one category of perfection. Whereas I possessed all categories of perfection.

They called me the Ultimate Hope, but I prefer just simply the Ultimate Ultimate.

I am a master of everything. This world exists for me to utilize it, and anything that stands in my way will not be there for long.

So when the Future Foundation painstakingly gathered all of the Remnants, when they used all that time and all those resources building the Neo World Program...

They were actually doing it for me. For me to use to my liking.

And, as I somewhat expected, with Chiaki's help, we defeated Junko Enoshima and regained our consciousnesses. For an Ultimate with just one ability, Chiaki Nanami did sufficiently.

And thus, the age-old question has been answered. Hope has prevailed over Despair.

However, learning this fact didn't feel like a large burden was shoved off my back.

It didn't feel like anything.

I heard the quiet hiss of escaping steam, and I noticed the blue cover was being lifted off my capsule. I quickly sat up and looked forward.

And then I saw her.

The back of a tall, slender woman was standing in the exitway of the capsule room. Her hair was a pinkish white, lusciously hanging behind her. Her figure was sleek and graceful, even down to her slender legs. Her heels clicked against the metal floor as she left the room, her thin arms moving side to side. My soul felt uplifted by the sight.

It was Kyoko Kirigiri. The woman with whom I spent the past week with.

She was sent on a mission to capture me by the Future Foundation. She was their best Detective.

Yet not even she posed a challenge to me. It was, in fact, a golden opportunity.

An opportunity to interact.

Kyoko Kirigiri is much like myself: emotionally secretive, a perfectionist, and longing for something more. So naturally, I was drawn to her. Even though she only had one talent.

The more time we spent together, the more our feelings grew for one another. They grew so much so that Kyoko even considered giving up Hope for me, as long as I gave up Despair.

However, that was not possible. Our connections to our respective movements were too strong, and something would surely get in the way of our life together. I offered to kidnap her forever, but she had a different plan in mind.

She thought that the Neo World Program would save me from Despair, so that we could be together. So she captured me, knowing nothing of my plan to start a Killing Game inside the program...

I'm not going to say I let it happen, but it was a surprise. Her personality grew, and I commended her for it, by letting her have her chance.

And that's how I ended up here.

My eyes followed Kyoko's back as she walked out of the building with two other men. One of them was a tall, slender man with a full head of tan hair. He was wearing a Future Foundation suit, and he walked with poise and confidence. That could only be Byakuya Togami, one of Kyoko's classmates who survived the Killing School Life with her.

And the other was a much shorter man, with a smaller head of brown hair. He didn't so much walk with confidence as he did with satisfaction, his hair bobbing up and down slightly. He was wearing the same suit.

Makoto Naegi. The Ultimate Hope. The one who defeated Junko Enoshima. The one who keeps moving forward, even when there is nowhere to go. He, much like Chiaki, has proven to me that Hope can indeed defeat Despair.

The three of them walked out into the sunlight, and eventually left my sight. My hand reached over the capsule and felt alongside it, until my hand hit a flash drive. The flash drive that I used to implant Junko Enoshima into the Program.

I pulled the drive out of its slot, and stared at it for a bit. The flash drive was half black and half white, with a red jagged button on the top. I gripped the flash drive in my hand as I pulled myself out of the capsule.

My feet hit the ground with a satisfying tap. As I stood up, I began looking around the room.

The room wasn't very well lit, and it was almost entirely covered in metal. In the back, there was the large, complicated computer that managed the Neo World Program. I could tell just from looking at it that it wasn't optimally built. It was too big; something that size could easily be built using half as much material. Also, it was very susceptible to viruses.

But other than that, there wasn't anything else noticeable in this room. I turned my head around and began to walk towards the entrance and-

Hm... What's that?

Near the entrance, propped up against the wall, was a book. A notebook, to be precise. It seemed very out of place.

I walked over to the notebook and leaned down slowly. My eyes focused in on the inscription on the cover.

 _'Hajime'_

Hajime Hinata is who I used to be. What could this mean...

I picked up the book cautiously, stood up, and opened the cover. On the first page was a letter.

 _..._

 _It's because I love you. It's because I need to be with you. Because there is no one else in the world that makes me feel the way you do._

 _..._

 _I discovered that if you wouldn't remember on your own, I would remember for you. Written in this book is an entire account of our time spent together._

 _..._

 _You're getting a second chance at love as well. But you're also getting a second chance at life. A life without Despair. A life that you can build up yourself._

 _..._

 _You need to come to terms with who you really were before we can begin again together. But I'll have you know as soon as you're ready, we can go away together and leave everything else behind._

 _..._

 _I wish very much to start that future now, but I understand that these things take time._

 _So I'll be waiting..._

It was from Kyoko Kirigiri. My heart ached more and more as I read every word.

Even though it technically wasn't directed towards me.

Kyoko knew about the machine. If it converted me to the side of Hope, I would turn back into Hajime Hinata, and forget all of my experiences with her.

To her, it was a second chance at love. She fully believed that my Despair could be defeated, so that we could be together.

In fact, it was very similar to Chiaki's thoughts...

But I wasn't converted, and my thoughts weren't erased. I fully remember everything that happened in the past couple days that involved Kyoko Kirigiri...

Perhaps I remember everything too well...

I let out a short sigh and tucked the book into my jacket. Even though I know what happened, it should be good to relive those experiences.

But Kyoko was right about one thing: that it would indeed take some time before we could be together. The Future Foundation is still skeptical about us Remnants, because the Neo World Program did not go as planned. So I would surely be under their radar, especially because I am the Ultimate Ultimate.

Before I could take another step towards the entrance, however, I heard the hiss of steam again. This time, it was louder.

I turned my head towards the capsules, and I saw four other capsule covers slowly rising.

It seems I wasn't the only one who survived...

Out of the first capsule popped a short man with short blond hair. He was wearing some sort of suit as well, and he seemed very confused as to what happened. After he looked around for a bit, his eyes widened and fell on one of the closed capsules.

"Peko... What the hell did they do..."

That man is Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu. The Ultimate Yazuka. He's all bark, and no bite. Especially when cut off from the rest of the Kuzuryuu clan...

A light scream interrupted my observations, as my head turned to a tall woman with long, white-blond hair. Her dress was very antiquated, and she was wearing a tiara on her head. She was also looking at a closed capsule.

"Oh, Gundham... Please say something..."

She is Sonia Nevermind. The Ultimate Princess. She may seem very formal, but she is actually interested in pop culture and horror stories.

I observed enough of this, so I turned my head to leave. As I began leaving the area, I heard loud banging, which sounded like someone was trying to break the blue plastic container on a capsule.

"Just hold on... I'll get you out, Nekomaru..."

My face turned back, laying eyes on a tall, beefy, tan-skinned woman with dark brown hair. Her fists were continuously punching the capsule's cover, with no avail, and the anger on her face growing with every futile hit.

It was Akane Owari. A very strong woman and the Ultimate Gymnast. However, she's very vulnerable to food. Any kind of food.

The Remnants' futility was getting quite boring, so I turned my head before the fourth person could walk out of their capsule.

"Miss Sonia? You're awake too?"

I could hear very quick footsteps that got increasingly louder, and stopped almost as soon as they began.

Ah, yes. Kazuichi Soda. No point turning around now...

He is a tall man with uniquely pink, greasy hair. The Ultimate Mechanic, and his weakness is quite apparent, if I do say so myself.

Underneath my shoes, I felt the softness of the grass as I took my first step outside. I was standing on a grassy mountain, on an island, exactly as I expected. It was somewhat bright out, the sun decently high in the sky, signaling that it was around ten in the morning. The sky was a smoggy dull red, caused by all the air pollution that came about because of Junko's Despair movement. The deep red sea reflected the sky, rippling slowly without much interference. The area was mostly devoid. About a hundred feet down the mountain, the golden sand on the beach began, a couple seagulls squawking in the air above it.

And walking through that sand were the same three figures that I saw earlier.

They were heading over to the small, yet lengthy wooden docks. Parked at the end of the docks was a large freight ship, owned by the Future Foundation. You could tell by the large crew walking around on deck.

My eyes slowly converged back on Kyoko Kirigiri, and I watched her as she walked down the dock. However, her steps slowed as she approached the ship.

She then slowly turned around, and looked back up the mountain. In my direction.

Even though I couldn't see her eyes from this distance, I knew they were looking straight into mine. A slight breeze blew my hair in front of my eyes as they locked with hers.

I could sense her longing, her desire, but there was no way this could work. At least, not now.

If the Neo World Program changed me, then I'd have to catch up on everything I forgot.

And if it didn't, well... There was a reason it didn't work out before...

But that's not saying it won't happen eventually. I watched as she turned around and started walking to get on the ship.

I pulled out the flash drive that I was holding, and examined it closer. This flash drive represented the last remains of Junko Enoshima. Her legacy was fully contained in this small piece of metal.

What of her legacy? Her plan took years to set up, only to be defeated by the lucky Makoto Naegi. Even though her impact can be felt in the Despair movements in the rest of the world, there isn't much backing that now. Now that most of the Remnants are disabled. And that only happened because Chiaki Nanami's Hope overcame the Despair of my virus.

Yes, Hope is by far less predictable...

Maybe it was time...

With one swift movement, I crushed the flash drive in my hand.

Kyoko... This is for you...

I will change.

I heard loud, swift footsteps behind me. I turned around slightly to see Fuyuhiko rushing outside of the building. He stopped right next to me, but his eyes were focused on the freight ship on the docks. He was visibly angry, and his right fist was waving viciously in the air.

"Those bastards! Don't mess with me! I'll destroy the Future Foundation!"

Fuyuhiko started running down the mountain quickly, just as the other three Remnants exited the building. Sonia was the first out, and she looked concerned.

"Fuyuhiko, please wait! There is no way you will catch that ship!"

However, Fuyuhiko didn't respond.

Hmpf. Assertiveness does not come naturally, it seems...

Well, _someone_ has to talk some sense into him...

"Stop"

With one forceful word, Fuyuhiko's steps halted abruptly. He turned around reluctantly, and gave me a look of disgust.

"They fuckin' killed Peko!" Fuyuhiko screamed, pointing at the ship.

"What the hell am I supposed to do? Just let them get away with it?"

I sighed. Clearly he isn't thinking straight... Peko's entrapment must've got to him.

"What are you going to do? What _can_ you do?"

Fuyuhiko's anger seemed to cool off a bit, and then he turned back towards the ship.

"I'll... I'll kill them..."

His words seemed to trail off.

"The Future Foundation is a very large organization. You have no chance by yourself."

"But..." Fuyuhiko looked disheartened.

His look reminded me that I was being too aggressive. If I was changing who I was, then I needed to fully embrace that fact. I decided to lighten my speech a bit.

"Peko isn't dead. She's in a coma. If you want to get revenge on the Future Foundation, then you should probably find a way to revive the Remnants before planning your attack."

Fuyuhiko was at a loss for words at this point, breathing heavily.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Fuyuhiko's look turned to one of curiosity.

"Hey... What was your name again?"

Ah, yes. My name... I'm different from them, so it's only reasonable that they don't remember my name...

I opened my mouth to speak, but then I stopped myself.

I'm not who I was before. I've made the decision to change.

I might as well abandon that name entirely...

"Hajime Hinata." I said.

"Well, Hajime... To revive Peko... And the rest of them... What do we do?"

"Yeah! Tell us what we gotta do to save 'em! That computer looks super complicated..." Akane spoke up from behind, approaching me.

Fuyuhiko started walking back towards me as well, and I turned slightly so I could see both of them.

"I'm honestly not sure. We'd need to look at the machine more."

"You mean, like, take a look at the insides?" Kazuichi asked, eyes glowing.

"Well, yeah, but-"

Instantly Kazuichi started running back into the room, before I could finish my sentence. I spoke up quickly, as we shouldn't be spending time on this now.

"Kazuichi, come back. There are more important things we have to worry about."

"Like what?" Kazuichi turned around to face me.

"We're stranded on this island. If we don't find food and shelter, we'll likely die."

Sonia understood me and responded, "Hajime is right. We need to prepare to live here for as long as it takes."

Akane butted in as well, "Yeah, let's go find some food!"

Fuyuhiko felt the need to respond to that, "We shouldn't _all_ go lookin' for food. We should split up."

Kazuichi's eyes lit up, "Great idea! Miss Sonia and I can go find shelter, while you guys find some food."

Sonia's eyes, however, seemed to widen for a different reason, "Um... I believe that there is a better way to split up this group..."

Fuyuhiko assertively agreed, "Yeah, I'll help Kazuichi and Sonia."

He pulled out a pocketknife from his jacket, "This'll help us build a couple huts."

Seeing Fuyuhiko's pocketknife gave me an idea.

Akane said, "So it's me an' Hajime, then."

She instantly started running away from the group, yelling at us, "If you find more food than me, I'll let you feel-"

"Akane, wait one second." I didn't want her getting lost on the island if she ran ahead.

She turned back at me and yelled, "Huh? But I'm hungry!"

I ignored her response and turned to Fuyuhiko, "Can I borrow that knife?"

"You're not gonna kill anyone, are ya?"

I gave him a glazed look, and then answered, "No."

He reluctantly gave me the knife, and then I instantly gave it to Sonia.

"Sonia, would you cut my hair?"

She seemed surprised at my question, "Hajime, that is a... rather odd request considering the circumstances... But I would be happy to do it."

Kazuichi's face scrunched up at her answer, "M-miss Sonia, can you cut my hair afterwards?"

"Um... I do not think this knife can cut through such greasy hair..."

"Hey, hey! It's not that greasy!"

Fuyuhiko tried to calm him down, "Kazuichi, let's go scout out the area in the meantime."

Kazuichi reluctantly agreed, and they started on their way.

Akane managed to walk back up to us, with a slight scowl on her face, "Well, I guess I'm goin' with them for now..."

She started following the two of them, leaving only Sonia and I on the mountain.

We looked around, and found a smooth rock that I could sit on. Quietly, I sat, and Sonia stood behind me. She grabbed my long, dark hair and pulled it all behind my back.

I could feel my hair pressing against my back, something I mostly ignored before.

I kept my head very still, as Sonia pressed the cold knife blade against the side of my head. Relatively quickly, she cut off the first lock of hair, and moved on.

I could feel my head getting slightly lighter with each lock removed, and as I closed my eyes, I could feel a bit of my old self dropping to the ground with each strand of hair.

I was given a second chance... A second chance at life and love...

I wasn't going to waste it.

We were about halfway through, when Sonia spoke sheepishly.

"U-um"

My eyes opened, and looked to my side where the voice came from.

"I-if you do not mind... why does your hair need to be cut?"

"Because it holds memories. Memories that I want to forget."

"Um... I believe memories are not contained in hair strands."

"Well, to truly forget something, you have to get rid of everything that reminds you of it. Right?"

"Y-yes, that does make sense..."

She silently continued cutting my hair, but then asked another question.

"What is it that you wish to forget?"

"Myself."

I then closed my eyes, signaling the end of the conversation. Sonia paused for a couple seconds, but after that, the knife was cutting my hair again.

After a couple minutes, I felt the last strand of hair fall to the ground.

"Done! Easy as pie!"

I cautiously got up from the rock I was sitting on, and grabbed the hand that Sonia held the knife in. I tilted her hand so that I could see my face's reflection in the knife.

The haircut wasn't perfect, because Sonia wasn't the Ultimate Barber.

But that's the reason why it looked so much like Hajime Hinata's haircut. Because it wasn't perfect. Which is why I liked it.

I couldn't help but force a smile, "Thank you."

"It was nothing, really." Sonia responded.

I took a second to look at the hair on the ground next to the rock. In it, I could see my entire Despair-filled life. Every single second of every single day after that fateful encounter with Junko Enoshima.

I displayed a confident look on my face as I turned away. We both started walking in the direction of the other three Remnants.

Kyoko, you're the only thing I'll willingly remember... Otherwise, I'd be bald...

 **Thanks for reading again, and any and all feedback is appreciated. If you liked this and didn't check out the prequel 'The Biggest Challenge Yet', you should give that a read.**


	2. Hope

"How bout this spot?" Fuyuhiko said, while walking.

Sonia and I managed to catch up to the group of Akane, Fuyuhiko, and Kazuichi that was looking for the best place to set up camp. Sonia decided to walk back a couple steps, to stay away from Kazuichi, so I decided to walk at her pace, because if Kazuichi saw me, he'd assume the girl who gave me my haircut wasn't far behind.

It also seemed Sonia was more comfortable around me, for some reason. It was probably because I saw her differently than Kazuichi did.

 _As an Ultimate with only one Talent._

Wait, no!

I shook my head quickly to get the thought out of my mind. I saw her as just a regular girl.

Kyoko occupied my thoughts so much that I couldn't see other girls as anything _but_ regular girls. I started to daydream a bit about her, but Kazuichi's voice struck me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, this place looks good!" Kazuichi gave Fuyuhiko a thumbs-up.

We stopped in a flat, grassy area next to a gray mountain wall, which meant it was blocked on one side. The beach was only a couple feet away, so we would know if anything was approaching us.

And if we looked upwards, we could see the entrance to the Neo World Program room, which was always a plus.

"Hey Hajime, when'd you get here? I almost didn't notice ya' with all that hair gone." Akane spoke up after turning around. Kazuichi turned around as well, knowing what her comment meant.

"Not too long ago." I responded

"You ready to go huntin'? I'm getting pumped!" Akane yelled

There wasn't really any other way to get food, so yes. We'd have to go hunting.

"Yeah, let's go." I answered

Akane turned around and started running into the forest, and after giving the rest of the Remnants a look, I followed her just as fast.

Even though I was Hajime Hinata, I still had my Ultimate abilities.

As I got further away, the voices of Fuyuhiko, Sonia, and Kazuichi discussing how to set up camp got softer and softer. I ran as fast as I could as the scenery around me changed into a luscious jungle, with incredibly tall trees, long vines, and large plants. The grass around here was getting taller, and I could sense Akane slowing down a bit. I easily caught up to her.

"Wow Hajime, you caught up to me already? That's pretty good." Akane spoke as she continued running.

I nodded, not knowing how to respond to that. We both continued running, looking around for any sign of movement. Leaves rustling, steps in the dirt, anything.

It wasn't long before I heard something in the distance, and my ear twitched. Instantly I stopped running to focus my senses, but it took Akane a couple seconds to notice.

"Huh? Do ya-" Akane said, a bit too loud.

So I cut her off with a whisper, "Shh. I hear something."

I began walking slowly and quietly towards the sound, and Akane followed me, ruffling the grass a bit.

After a couple steps, I stopped abruptly. I saw a yellow chicken strutting about in the forest, occasionally pecking the ground in search of food. Akane's eyes lit up at the sight, and she began walking slowly towards the chicken, her mouth starting to water.

I could tell that the chicken noticed Akane, but I didn't want to interfere again. Either way, my whispering would probably distract the chicken even more, now that we were closer.

With one swift movement, Akane jumped at the chicken. But it just barely escaped her dive, and started running away in the opposite direction.

"Arghhh!" Akane yelled, as her face slid in the dirt.

I quietly sighed, and began running after the chicken. The chicken could run fast, but it was no match for me. It tried to swerve to drive me off its path, but it was futile. Within a couple seconds, I caught up to it and grabbed it by the neck.

I stared into its eyes, the look of fear and nervousness apparent. It was ruffling its feathers as quickly as it could, in the vain Hope that it could somehow free itself. However my grip was too strong.

I'd have to kill this chicken. There's no other way. It looked so helpless, so scared. Killing innocents is something that Junko would do, and I didn't want to be a part of that anymore.

But it was either it, or us. Either we found food, or we died.

I wasn't going to let myself die. Not without Kyoko.

I stared at the chicken for a couple seconds more before Akane interrupted my thoughts.

"Nice job, Hajime! You caught it!" Akane said, as she brushed the dirt off her face and started walking over to me.

Without a second thought, Akane took the chicken from my hand and snapped its neck, instantly killing it. I didn't flinch.

"Whattaya waitin for? Let's find more chickens, I'm getting hungry!"

Akane gave me back the chicken to hold, and she started running off again.

And we spent the rest of the day catching chickens, Akane trying her best, and me actually finishing the job. After we caught a couple of them, Akane suggested that she hold them, because that's what her muscles were for. So she followed me around, holding all of the chickens I caught. I eventually became accustomed to snapping their necks myself, as Akane's hands were full. It didn't feel like anything, really. The fact was, I was used to this.

At the end of the day, just as the sun was setting, Akane and I walked back to the campsite. She was holding six chickens, and I was holding two.

As we approached a clearing, I could see the true color of the sky. It was a typical mixture of orange, purple, and pink, except that those colors blended in with the dull, permanent redness of the sky. This created various shades of red, some lighter, some darker, which was actually somewhat beautiful. The more I looked at it, the more it reminded me of the constant conflict between Hope and Despair.

I looked ahead, to see much more of a campsite than I expected. There were three small huts made of wood sitting a foot or two away from the mountain wall. They seemed to be bound up decently well, with vines from the jungle, and they were only about four feet tall. The rest of the wood was stacked neatly against the mountain.

I turned to my side, to where the grass stopped and the sandy beach began. There were five small wooden logs arranged in a circle, and in the center was some firewood. Sitting on the logs were Fuyuhiko, Kazuichi, and Sonia. Fuyuhiko was concentrating on starting a fire, so Sonia noticed us first.

"Wow! You sure found a lot of food!"

Akane grinned sheepishly, "Well, Hajime really did-"

 _Everything. Her incompetence is better wasted somewhere else._

My mind was acting up again. Planting thoughts inside my head... It was getting annoying. So I decided to cut her off there, to fight these thoughts.

"We made a great team."

I didn't want them to see me as the Ultimate Ultimate. I'm Hajime Hinata now. I do have these powers, but they don't make me who I am. _I_ make me who I am.

And, maybe if they think I'm more like them, then maybe, eventually, I can convert them to the side of Hope. And then, hopefully, I'll finally be the Hajime Hinata that I decided I'd be.

Kazuichi turned our way and, when seeing what Sonia saw, whistled lengthily, "Looks like we're havin' a feast tonight!"

Akane responded quickly, dropping her dead chickens near the log seats, "Yeah! I can't wait!"

I followed her lead, dropping my two chickens onto the pile as well, without a word. Fuyuhiko noticed our movement, and looked up. His eyes fell onto the large pile of chickens, and they widened in amazement. He then looked up at me and my glazed, dark red eyes. I could tell he wanted to say something, but after a second, his eyes dropped off and he continued to work on the fire.

After a couple minutes, Fuyuhiko got the fire started. The setting sun was almost out of the sky now, the colors almost fading.

With the fire started, Akane didn't hesitate to begin cooking, "So, how'r we cookin' these things?"

After a second of silence, I responded, "Well, we should take the feathers off first. I'll set up a rotisserie using the extra wood, and then we can start cooking them."

"What're we waiting for? Fuyuhiko, where's the knife?" Akane yelled, having more vigor than before.

"Calm down. It's right here." Fuyuhiko tossed the knife to Akane, who dodged it quickly. The knife blade stuck itself in one of the chickens, and Akane pulled it out with a snarky expression. Then, with just as much enthusiasm as before, she started using the knife to slice off the feathers of each chicken corpse.

I then stood up and walked over to the wood pile, and grabbed three long straight sticks, one significantly thinner than the others, and brought them over to the fire. I took off my right shoe without hesitation, and as the other three Remnants watched, I drilled the two thicker sticks into the ground on either side of the fire.

"Akane, can I borrow that knife for a second?" I turned over to her, sitting near her pile of chickens.

It seems she just finished skinning a chicken, so she agreed, "Make it quick, alright? I'm hungry!"

I walked over to her and grabbed the knife. I then started hacking at the center of one of the two thicker twigs, creating an indent that we could use to hold the thin one.

"Hey! What the hell? You're gonna break my knife, bastard!"

"I'm sorry, but we need to do this to cook the chickens."

Fuyuhiko scowled a bit, and then reluctantly agreed, "Fine..."

After another couple of seconds, I finished the rotisserie. I then traded the knife back to Akane for the skinned chicken, which I skewered with the thin stick. Walking over to the fire, I placed the skewer above the fire, took a seat on a log, and started turning it slowly.

"Oh. So this is a 'rotisserie'..." Sonia responded

The other three Remnants began talking, but I tuned their conversation out. I just turned the chicken mechanically, making sure it was cooked enough.

I stared into the chicken as I turned it. So... boring...

By now, it was almost completely dark, save the fire and the sparse moonlight we could see between the clouds.

My mind started to wander a bit, and naturally that focused my mind on Kyoko. I went through all the events we shared together.

And then I remembered the book, still inside my jacket. I'd have to see how she saw these events...

After some time, all of the chickens were cooked. We each grabbed one, with the exception of Akane who grabbed two, and started eating.

"Mmm... Good job, Hajime!" Akane said, barely able to get the words out between bites.

"Y'know, for wild chickens, this ain't bad at all..." Kazuichi responded

"Damn right!" Fuyuhiko added

"Thank you."

That was all I could think of, unfortunately, as I took another bite of my chicken.

For the most part, dinner was silent because everyone was busy eating. I haven't cooked wild chickens before, but my Ultimate abilities surely helped in making them taste good.

Fuyuhiko finished first, so he dropped the chicken bones to the ground. After he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, he began speaking.

"We've got food. We've got shelter. At this rate, Peko and the others'll be free in no time!"

"Yeah! This shouldn't be hard at all!" Kazuichi joined in

"I cannot wait!" Sonia responded as well

"And then those fuckin' bastards will pay. We'll kill them. We'll rip their organs out while they're still alive and watch them suffer."

Fuyuhiko's smile shifted into a more sinister one, his eyes increasingly becoming more twisted along with his thoughts.

"We shall rip through their bodies with spears and watch them bleed to death!" Sonia added, showing the same expression as Fuyuhiko

"We'll drop them from a tall building and see their blood splatter the ground!" Kazuichi said as well.

Thankfully, Akane was still eating the leftover chicken, so she didn't join in. At this point, their eyes, just like their minds, were completely warped, their Despair visible.

That's what Junko could do. She could change from a normal girl into a crazy Despair-filled madwoman in an instant, and back. It only makes her second form less predictable.

And more Despair-inducing.

But I've made a choice. If I was true to my word, I'd have to stop the Remnants from wanting to get revenge on the Future Foundation.

But in order to stop them, I'd have to...

I'd have to convert them to the side of Hope. Otherwise, I couldn't say I truly changed.

As much as I wanted to intervene, however, my mind increasingly wanted me to just ignore everything, and let them do whatever they wanted. It all felt so... pointless.

But in the end, what really convinced me to speak up was the fact that Kyoko was a part of the Future Foundation, and I needed to protect her.

"Is revenge really what you want? Is killing all those people really worth it?" I spoke, almost breaking the three Remnants out of their trance. They looked at me forcefully.

"Yes... They need to die... They need to feel Despair... Just like we felt back then..." Fuyuhiko chanted.

"You... Aren't you one of us? A Remnant of Despair?" Kazuichi interrogated

I didn't say anything, but I stared more intently at him.

"Shouldn't you feel the same way? The way of... Despair?"

"Maybe I learned something."

"What exactly could you learn... that would rid your mind of glorious Despair?" Sonia inquired

"That there's more to life than just Despair. Everything gets boring after a while."

 _Including you four_

Shaking off my thoughts, I continued, "And sometimes, you have to let go of yourself to truly try something new."

After I made my final statement, I got up and walked back to the huts. The three Remnants were in a semi-trance state, not knowing whether to shift back to reality or back into Despair. It looks like my speech did its job.

But the fight isn't over yet. Hopefully, I'll make more progress tomorrow.

I forgot that we didn't assign the huts yet. Naturally, I was drawn to the smaller hut out of the three, which was built for one person. But that would only reinforce the fact that I was different from them. That I stood out from the others. Every little step counted, if I wanted to really change. Yet, my body tensed up slightly at the thought of sharing a hut...

"Y'know, Hajime, you can take that hut if you want it."

Akane's voice pierced my thoughts. I turned back to her, and it seems she was finally finished with her chicken. Because there was no more food left.

It also looked like the other Remnants were back to normal. Kazuichi, hearing Akane mention hut assignments, spoke up

"Yeah, that's fine. As long as you don't take the one in the back. I built that one for me and Miss Sonia!"

"Um... It is rather scandalous for boys and girls to sleep in the same hut." Sonia retorted

"Yeah, she's right. Akane and Sonia would have to be in the same hut. I'll take the other hut with Kazuichi to make sure he doesn't pull any shit." Fuyuhiko agreed

"Hey, hey! That's no fair!" Kazuichi responded, but no one said anything else

I nodded my head at the four of them, and proceeded to enter my hut. Something inside me told me that I would be more comfortable in this hut, anyways...

I had to lay down because there wasn't enough room to stand. I didn't feel like sleeping yet, so I decided to take a look at Kyoko's book.

I read the first section of it, our first meetup ever since I became him. Reading it made me chuckle a bit, at both my actions and hers.

I didn't have time to read more, because the others were heading back to the huts. I hurriedly put the book away, so they didn't see it.

"Good night." I said to the others. I couldn't let my one person hut exclude me from them.

It seemed Akane was the only one who heard me, because she was the only one who spoke back

"Night!" she said, with a wide grin on her face.

With that out of the way, I got into a more comfortable position to sleep, closed my eyes, and waited.

But sleep didn't come easily. It never did anymore.

My mind was too occupied, too full of thoughts.

 _Sleep is for the weak..._

 _Doing nothing. How boring..._

 _This hut is not optimally built..._

I tried my best to shove these thoughts away. Luckily, it started raining, which did interrupt them. The slight pitter-patter of rain on the grass and wood was a very soothing sound, and I focused on it, which led me much closer to sleep.

 _Drip_

I felt a cold, wet raindrop fall onto my nose and splash all over my face. I opened my eyes slowly, and a glazed look appeared on my face.

The roof of the hut wasn't sealed off properly, so it was leaking.

 _For a mechanic, Kazuichi is foolishly incompetent at building things..._

The thoughts flooded my head again, just as rain began to flood my jacket. I sighed, not knowing what to expect anymore.

It's tough to force back an old self, especially when everything you look at causes it to act up.

As much as I wanted to fight the feeling, it looks like I'd have to fix this hut...

I wouldn't want this book getting wet, now...


	3. Incompetence

I woke up to a pale red sky, the sun just barely creeping above the horizon. I spent a couple hours last night fixing my hut, and because of that, I didn't get much sleep.

But I didn't need sleep. As tired as I was, my body kept functioning the way it normally does. Another result of being the Ultimate Ultimate...

I sat up slowly, making sure Kyoko's book was safe and sound in my jacket. I brushed my jacket off, and then I started to run my hands through my hair to straighten it out.

As soon as my hands touched my hair, I knew something was off.

I had more hair than before. Significantly more hair than before.

It extended to about halfway down my neck, and it was indeed very messy, as I could feel. I began to think about how my hair could have grown this much, and I didn't like the answer.

Was I... Was I changing back into him?

I shook my head to regain focus, feeling my hair move around with it. I continued straightening it, so it didn't look messy like Akane's hair always was.

 _Imperfect hair for an Imperfect Ultimate_

I threw my hands towards the ground in anger, and started walking outside to wash my face in the sea. It was a bit cold out; I'd have to start the fire afterwards.

As I walked out to the beach, the length of my hair was still on my mind.

Did it grow back because I'm letting him back into my body?

Or is what I'm doing useless, and is him overtaking me inevitable?

Both possibilities were equally concerning to me.

I knelt down next to the sea, ebbing and flowing slowly. I cupped my hands, grabbed some water, and threw it against my face, trying to cleanse my thoughts as well as my skin.

Afterwards, I pulled my head up to stare at the horizon. The sky was getting brighter by the minute, and pretty soon, the other Remnants would be awake.

Kyoko... I know you're out there... Somewhere...

As my mind focused on Kyoko, the other thoughts in my head began to dissolve. When I think of her, it truly feels like I'm one person, unconflicted. When I think of her, I'm not trying to force myself to be someone, I'm just giving myself up to emotion.

I felt the book inside my jacket for a second, and then I got up and walked over to the fire pit. I easily started a fire, and began warming my hands.

I heard footsteps not much later, and I turned my head towards the sound.

It was Akane, messy hair as usual. She stepped out of her hut, yawned, and stretched for a couple seconds, revealing some of her stomach.

Once her eyes landed on my hut, I knew what was coming. A surprised look appeared on her face. Noticing I wasn't there, she started looking around for me, and found me sitting near the fire.

"Huh? Hajime, did you build that?"

"Yes. It rained last night, and there was a leak, so I fixed it."

"Ya sure did a lot more than 'fixin'..."

I chuckled a bit at her comment. It was an empty chuckle, but I needed to try to make friends with everyone somehow.

Akane walked over and sat next to me by the fire.

"You're up pretty early." I said, trying to make conversation

"Yeah, I used to train a lot in the mornin', being the Ultimate Gymnast an' all. But... now that he's gone..."

She suddenly looked defeated...

Nekomaru was her training partner. And he's in a coma.

Hm... I can't replace Nekomaru, but I definitely can help her train and pass the time.

 _Of course you can replace Nekomaru. You have his talent and more._

"I think I can help you with that, Akane." I said, getting that voice out of my head.

"Huh?" She looked surprised again.

"I'll help you train."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks, Hajime! Get ready, I won't go easy on ya!"

The two of us stood up beyond the fire and in the sand, in ready stances. And for a couple minutes, we exchanged blows.

She was standing a foot away from me, with her arms in a boxing position. Her eyes were continuously moving towards the left half of my body, so it was obvious she was going to attack there. So I set my left arm up to block, and readied my other arm for the counterattack.

 _BAM_

Her fist hit exactly where I expected, and then I punched her in the side of the stomach where she was vulnerable.

She staggered back for half a second, and then tried a kick to my left shin to throw off my balance.

However, I saw that coming too, and I corrected my stance so I didn't move. Her kick bounced off my leg, doing almost nothing.

Akane, getting angry at herself, decided to put her full force into a right handed punch.

 _How foolish_...

On instinct, I took a step to the side, and Akane's own force propelled her to the ground, getting sand all over herself much like her fall yesterday. She sat up quickly, and on her face, I could see, among other things, a look of complete disbelief.

"Damn... Are you... Are you good at everything?"

I didn't have time to answer that question, as our sparring woke up the others.

"Hey, hey! What's with all the loud noise? We're trying to-" Kazuichi yelled, but he cut himself off when he saw my hut. He looked at me, awestruck, and asked.

"What'd you do to my hut?"

"I fixed it." I said.

Compared to my perfect hut, he would think everything was wrong with what he built yesterday. But I couldn't leave anything that I worked on half-done. It annoyed me.

Well, it mostly annoyed my old self...

"Oh..." He looked defeated.

 _Rightfully so..._

This conversation brought out Fuyuhiko and Sonia. Akane brushed herself off and made her way back to the fire, as did I. Once we all got there, Sonia, having cut my hair, noticed how it grew overnight.

"Hajime! What happened to your hair? It is much longer than before."

"I don't know. Maybe it wants to grow back."

"Yeah, she's right. I've never seen hair grow that fast." Fuyuhiko joined in.

"Don't worry about it." I told them. Because this is my responsibility. I need to defeat him myself.

We sat around the fire in silence for a couple seconds, until Akane's stomach growled. Which was inevitable.

"All that fightin' got me hungry!" She started looking around for any chicken corpses left over from last night, but there weren't any. I could tell she felt dejected.

"So, how're we gettin' food today?" Fuyuhiko took the lead.

"We could go into the jungle again." Sonia responded.

"And find _more_ chickens? That's what we had _yesterday_..." Akane grumbled

"We don't really have a choice, Akane." I interrupted

"Fine..." She grumbled again, but got up and started walking towards the jungle. After a few seconds, she realized no one was following her. She especially looked in my direction, as I was the one who caught the most chickens yesterday.

"What? You guys' comin?"

"We caught a lot of food yesterday." Fuyuhiko responded

"Yeah? So what? If we don't eat, we'll die."

"I'm just sayin' that we probably want to focus our extra energy on other things."

"Like what?" Akane asked

Fuyuhiko didn't respond for a second, so I took over.

"Our next goal would probably be to find some way to contact the outside world, so we can get more resources."

"Like food?" Akane interrogated

"Well, yeah, but also materials and-"

"Sounds good to me!" Akane grinned widely.

"We could make some sort of radio that allows two-way communication."

Kazuichi instantly took note, and spoke up

"I agree with Hajime. We should totally build a radio!"

After a second of silence, Fuyuhiko stood up from his seat and spoke.

"I'll go with Akane and help her get some food. Kazuichi and Hajime, you two build that radio. Sonia..."

Sonia looked a bit startled, but responded, "I will go with you two, Fuyuhiko and Akane."

Fuyuhiko shrugged, "Ok. The more the merrier, I guess."

Akane started running towards the jungle area, yelling at the other two Remnants to hurry up.

Which left Kazuichi sitting here with me.

"Sooo, where are we getting all these parts for the radio?" Kazuichi asked

He did have a point. This was a deserted island. But the answer was clear, even if he didn't see it.

The Neo World Program is the only human-built structure on this island. And from my observation yesterday, it'll be fine if we remove some parts from it.

Blueprints for this radio instantly formed in my mind, and all the intricacies of building it flooded my head, but I pushed back those thoughts for now.

"Kazuichi, follow me. I think I know exactly where to find them..."

I started walking back up the mountain, and Kazuichi eagerly followed me.

After we were walking for about five minutes, Kazuichi sped up to walk directly next to me.

"Hey Hajime. It seems you an' Miss Sonia get along well."

"Yes." I knew where this was going already...

"C-Could ya give me any tips? Y'know, so she doesn't ignore me." Kazuichi's eyes displayed his impatience.

 _Women are easily manipulable. Everyone is easily manipulable. Only imbeciles don't realize this._

As much as I wanted to ignore the voices in my head, they were right. I could give Kazuichi a thousand different ways to woo Miss Sonia, and they'd all work. In fact, if I was interested, _I_ could do that. But there's another woman in my life...

I started thinking about Kyoko again, and the world around me dissolved. At least, until Kazuichi started yelling at me.

"Hey, hey! You better not be daydreaming about Miss Sonia!"

I shook my head quickly, and told him, "Oh, no. I was just thinking."

The look on his face turned smug, and I wanted to end this conversation fast. Honestly, it didn't feel right to give Kazuichi information that didn't come naturally to him.

 _Because he doesn't deserve it._

I tried to ignore my thoughts, and continued my speech by blatantly lying.

"I don't have too much experience with women, so I don't really know what'll help."

Kazuichi looked dejected, "Aw, ok. J-just stay away from her. She's mine!"

 _I should stay away from everyone at this rate._

I quickly turned away from Kazuichi and focused on the mountain again. We were almost to the Neo World Program.

Within a minute, I saw the room. My shoes touched the metal floor again, and it surprisingly felt natural.

Kazuichi tried to push past me to get a better look at the computer, but I grabbed him by the collar and stopped him in his tracks.

"Hey, what's that for? The parts are in that computer, right?"

"Yes. But I'm not letting you take it apart."

"I'm the Ultimate Mechanic! That's what I'm good at!"

"Wait here."

I walked over to the computer and looked at it for a second. Then, I started to take off a metal panel.

"Do you even know what you're doing?" Kazuichi yelled

I stopped my action and turned around, staring Kazuichi in the eyes. I didn't say anything, because honestly I was fed up with his incompetence.

I pulled the panel off, revealing many wires and circuit boards. I instantly knew which one I was looking for.

"Do you see this circuit board here?"

"Yeah... What's it do?"

"This contains all of the Remnants' memories. If you break this, or disconnect it, they'll never wake up."

Kazuichi may not care about the other Remnants, but I would never let anyone kill them.

 _Their lives are worth nothing. They don't deserve to live._

I closed my eyes and focused on breathing, so I didn't compulsively break the circuit board.

However, I could feel Kazuichi breathing down my neck to get a better view of the computer.

"Kazuichi, let me disassemble the computer. I'll give you the pieces so you can work on the radio."

After thinking for a bit, he agreed.

"Ok, fine..."

I handed him the panel I removed, and waited for him to take a few steps back before I began working on the computer again.

Within seconds I fully understood exactly what this computer was doing, and which parts were doing what. I quickly removed the unnecessary components and restructured some sections of the computer in order to take out more pieces. I tried not to look at the one circuit board, just in case my inner thoughts acted up again...

I tossed the parts, one by one, to Kazuichi, who was working on the radio. I couldn't watch him build the radio, because I knew he wasn't doing it correctly and my instinct would force myself to fix it.

Either way, I had to focus on disassembling the machine. But even that didn't take much thought, so my mind started wandering again.

 _Break it. Break the circuit board._

I silently cursed at my thoughts. I've noticed my former self showing more and more... Anything I look at, anyone I meet... It'll always have something to say...

Maybe I can't control it... Maybe it's inevitable...

Maybe there's no Hope for Hajime Hinata.

I finished making the improvements to the computer, and I turned back to Kazuichi.

"What's your progress?"

 _Not far at all..._

"Well... I do have it working... It's just all staticy and stuff..."

I listened to the radio, which could only display one station, and he was correct. The radio didn't have any dials or any visuals, either...

Looks like my work here isn't done yet...

I spent the next hour or so helping Kazuichi fix the radio, so that it would be both functional and easy to use.

By the time we were finished, the sun was setting. I turned the radio on before we left, to show Kazuichi that it was working, because I already knew it would work.

 _"And now, it's time for the Monokuma File! 174,532 people died today! 54,352 of them died by-"_

I didn't want to listen to this. Even if I changed back into my former self, I would never let Despair back in.

I turned to Kazuichi, and he was shifting into the trance-like state that I saw him in last night. It was from listening to the broadcast, for sure. I shook him quickly to snap him out of it.

"It's getting dark. We really should head back to camp."

Kazuichi nodded, and we both started walking back. The red sunset looked exactly the same as it did yesterday.

 _Everything is always the same. How boring._

I didn't care about the voices anymore, I've given up trying to ignore them; it was too much effort. There was no way to stop the voices, either... And the only thing that would guarantee my head to be temporarily free from these voices, was thinking of her.

It seemed like she was the only thing that mattered to me...

Not Hope... Not Despair... Not Fuyuhiko or Sonia or Akane or Kazuichi or any of the other Remnants...

Just her.

I know Chiaki wanted me to change, but... I honestly didn't see how Hope could help me, if I continued to think like this. Hope was about making the world a better place... Hope was about saving everyone from danger...

 _There isn't anyone else worth saving, anyways._

 _Well, except for one person..._

Finally, something I agreed with... I felt her book again underneath my jacket. I'd read more tonight.

Kazuichi and I got back to the three other Remnants by the fire, looking exhausted from their chicken hunt. Akane looked particularly down, her eyes staring down in the sand.

Probably because there were only two chickens sitting in the sand, as opposed to the eight that we found yesterday.

The three of them heard us coming, and turned in our direction.

"Catching chickens... is tougher than I expected... those bastards can run..." Fuyuhiko spoke, breathing heavily in between sentences.

"H-hajime? Can you... catch more? We had so much food yesterday... A-and my stomach..." Akane pleaded, holding her grumbling stomach.

"Yes. I believe we do not have enough food for everyone." Sonia agreed

 _They should provide for themselves. You're not their servant._

As much as I wanted to help, I didn't particularly want to go out and catch more food for them. So, I did the next best thing.

"You four can eat. I'm not hungry."

I was the Ultimate Ultimate. I didn't need food.

"Really? But if you don't eat-" Akane asked

"I'll be fine. Trust me." I said

"Suit yourself." Fuyuhiko said while shrugging, as the group started preparing the chicken.

I couldn't focus while they skinned and roasted the chicken, for all the same reasons, so I started playing with the radio that we made. As soon as I turned it on, Kazuichi started bragging.

"Hey, Sonia, look at the radio we made. I did a good job, right?"

Sonia ignored his comment and started staring into the radio's screen. Kazuichi and Akane did the same, but Fuyuhiko was busy cooking.

On the screen, we could see a city landscape against the same red sky that was around us at the moment. The buildings were heavily damaged: windows broken, walls collapsed, doors nonexistent. And in the streets were exactly what we expected:

Monokuma Robots.

There were hundreds of them on this block alone, running around, trapping and killing people.

I could tell the three Remnants were falling into a trance...

Not this again...

 _"Even though the Despair movement in Towa City has been mostly overthrown, there are still Monokumas roaming around and causing mass panic and destruction. The Future Foundation-"_

"Those bastards!" Fuyuhiko yelled from across the firepit.

 _"-fugitives are still on the loose, and catching them is imperative. If you have any information on the whereabouts of Komaru Naegi, Toko Fukawa, or Byakuya Togami, please submit the information to-"_

I turned the radio off at this point. They mentioned Byakuya, but they didn't talk about Kyoko, so I shouldn't be concerned for her.

At least, not yet.

But Towa City... I know I've heard that name before... I was there before...

"Hey! I wanted to watch that!" Akane yelled.

"Well I didn't." I said, instinctively.

"Why not? People were dying all over... There was so much blood..." Kazuichi stated

"You guys like watching people be killed?" I asked, knowing the answer I'd get.

"Yes... Seeing the Despair in their eyes as they are tortured... That is true pleasure..." Sonia mentioned, eyes gleaming.

"I hope those Future Foundation jerks get what's comin' to 'em! Those robots should kill 'em!" Akane yelled

"Death by being ripped to shreds by a Monokuma... That sounds amazing..." Kazuichi said, displaying the same passion that he has for Sonia.

This has gone on long enough. I might not be fully committed to Hope, but I know one thing.

That Despair is wrong. That no one should fall into Despair.

Let me show them how pointless their Despair is...

"Why do they need to die?" I asked. Hopefully logic would convince them.

"Because they interfered with our plans! No one messes with Fuyuhiko Kuzuyruu and gets away with it!" Fuyuhiko yelled from across the fire. Now his eyes were starting to change, too...

"What plans?"

"To fill the world with Despair. Like, duh, Hajime..." Akane scolded

"But their plan is to fill the world with Hope. So as much as they're interfering with your plans, you're interfering with theirs as well. So you're saying they should die for doing something that you're doing also."

"Don't compare us to those bastards! We're causing Despair. They're wrong for opposing us." Fuyuhiko answered angrily.

"They deserve to die... In horrifying ways..." Sonia agreed

"Say, Hajime... Are you even on our side?" Kazuichi inquired

"Yeah... You've been acting up a lot lately." Akane mentioned

Fuyuhiko stood up from his log and started walking over towards me, pulling out his pocketknife. He was in a complete trance, just like the rest of them. The smile on his face grew wider by the second.

"Maybe we need to remind him... about how good Despair feels..."

I staggered back for a second at the threat. And as Fuyuhiko slowly moved closer, I slowly moved away, and I dropped the radio in the sand next to me.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked.

"What a stupid question..."

 _Fine. Your loss._

Fuyuhiko charged at me with the knife, and I dodged it easily. I grabbed his wrist with both hands and shoved it away from me, trying to pry the knife out of his hands. After a couple seconds, I could tell his grip strength weaken, and with one motion, I thrust the knife about four feet away from us. Fuyuhiko looked stunned for a second, but then started to run after it.

I instantly grabbed him by the neck and pulled him closer to me. I held him up, so I could see eye to eye with him.

In that moment, I forgot who I was pretending to be. All of the anger, suppressed emotions, and incompetence I had to put up with was instantly released.

 _"Where's your Despair now?"_ I asked, in a menacing voice that no longer belonged to Hajime Hinata.

I squeezed Fuyuhiko's neck a bit so that he understood the severity of his situation. His hands tried uselessly to release my grip, clawing endlessly. He started choking a bit.

 _Fighting against the Ultimate Ultimate is useless._

But at least his eyes were changing back to normal, which is what I intended. I turned towards the other three Remnants, who were surprised at my actions.

"Despair is a one-way street. Once you get to the end, there's nowhere else to go but to die. And there's almost no going back... But as long as I'm here, you all _will_ go back. Don't forget it."

I then looked into Fuyuhiko's eyes for a second, and then threw him down in the sand as he gasped for air. I picked up the radio that I left on the ground and walked away from the campfire swiftly and quietly.

I could tell the others were watching me behind my back, but I didn't care. There's no way such useless Ultimates could influence my attention.

But as much as I hated them, I should fix them. Their Despair is making them blind...

That's why I decided to take the radio away. Because they didn't need any more bad influences.

Good thing I didn't add the two-way communication feature, or else they'd be fostering even more Despair...

I needed to be the one to control how we interacted with the outside world. To preserve our image. The outside world doesn't know what will become of us here on this island.

I needed to make sure that we didn't get on the Future Foundation's radar. Because if we did, Kyoko and I would be enemies again. And I didn't want that.

So allowing the Remnants access to such power could be very disastrous. That's why I'm controlling what they _can_ do.

 _They're useless. They can't do anything right. You have to continuously do everything for them..._

My mind kept giving off these thoughts, but now, I was starting to believe them a bit more.

I tried to get my mind off it by thinking about Kyoko. I grabbed the book from inside of my suit, and continued to read the words she left for me.

I was a distance away from the campfire now. It was almost a speck on the horizon. The only real light I had to work with was the light of the moon, just starting to appear from behind the dark clouds.

Not that I needed any help to read. Even my eyes are Ultimate...

Ah, yes. This is the part where we had dinner. And to think she had to be cautious of me poisoning her food... I guess that's what detectives do. I was starting to approach her more and more, and because of that, I could see under her guise to her true feelings. That's why I continued to pursue her.

The squawking of a lone seagull interrupted my reading. Seagulls normally don't fly around at this time; this one is surely taking the road less traveled by. It must have gotten lost from its group.

 _Or maybe it doesn't want others interfering with its life. Just like you._

My eyes focused in on the seagull. It didn't look lost, though... It must have some sort of goal... But what?

Maybe it lost sight of its goal. Maybe it's helplessly trying to pursue it, without knowing how to get there...

I continued to stare at the seagull, as I felt the sand around me. My fingers felt a hard, large seashell, and I grabbed it.

I slowly raised my arms, eyes still pointed directly at the seagull. With one quick throw, I launched the seashell in the air.

Within a second, I heard a squawk of pain, and the seagull fell to the ground. It died on impact.

 _Life's hard on your own, isn't it?_

I walked over to its corpse, only a couple feet in front of me. I picked it up slowly, and examined it.

It looked just like a regular seagull.

Except that it was dead.

Hm... I hesitated before killing a chicken a couple days ago... And yet I feel nothing now.

Completely nothing. No remorse, no sadness. Nothing.

The only thing that made me feel anything other than frustration and hatred was her.

I turned back to the fire pit. The faint glow in the distance was still there, and I didn't want to have to deal with the other Remnants again. So I sat back down and read Kyoko's book until the light of the fire disappeared entirely.

I then started walking back to the campsite. By now, it was around nine at night. They were retreating to their huts at this point.

I eventually reached the fire pit. I sat down on my usual log, and reached for the long, thin stick that resembled a skewer.

I don't _need_ to eat, no... But it sure is nice...

I jabbed the seagull with the skewer, and placed it above the fire. I started the fire again, and slowly rotated the stick just like I did yesterday.

And just like yesterday, my mind started to wander.

Could I even call myself Hajime Hinata anymore? In just two days, my perception has changed dramatically. I couldn't keep up being on the side of Hope... It truly conflicted with my inner feelings... Forcing myself to be someone who I wasn't just, wasn't working...

At this point, I gave in to myself. It was too much work, too much stress to keep ignoring and pushing back the thoughts of my inner self. These thoughts weren't Despair-inducing thoughts... They were just distrust... Distrust of everyone...

And hopelessness... The feeling that nothing mattered... The feeling that I'd be annoyed with everyone's incompetence forever...

The Hope that Chiaki had originally intended to instill in me has all but vanished... Pursuing such Hope was never very appealing to me... It used to be, back when I was Hajime.

But not now.

I took the seagull off the skewer and picked away to get to the meat on its bones. I began eating the perfectly cooked meat.

Kyoko... I'm sorry I couldn't bring myself to join your side...

But this is who I am.

One without Hope. One without Despair.

I am the true Izuru Kamukura.


	4. Ambivalence

I barely got any sleep, and the sun was already peeking up from behind the horizon. My mind was filled with thoughts about the implications of my decision yesterday.

No, I was not concerned about falling back into Despair... That will never happen. Not again...

For someone who is Ultimate at everything, there exists the constant problem of keeping myself occupied.

Taking on the persona of Hajime Hinata only lasted two days. Still better than most things, but not long enough...

Catching chickens was boring. Building that radio was boring. But I dealt with it, in an attempt to gain the Remnants' trust.

Yet, that didn't happen. And after my outburst last night, they would surely treat me differently...

At this point, their trust was worthless. Why should I let them trust me? There's nothing I would trust them to do. There's nothing I would gain from having them trust me.

So it seemed these past two days have been pointless...

And in that moment, I felt exactly what I've felt so much of in the past.

Boredom.

What would I do on this island that is not boring?

As if answering my own question, my hand slipped over to the book that I had under my jacket.

This book... This is the only thing left for me here...

I began taking the book out of my jacket, but I heard voices from around the firepit. I instantly stopped moving and pretended to fall back asleep.

It was the other four Remnants, talking about something.

And I knew what that 'something' was.

"Why can't we just let him catch more chickens? I'm reeeeally hungry..." Akane grumbled softly.

"She does have a point..." Kazuichi joined in

They were borderline whispering so that I couldn't hear what they were saying. However, they underestimated the power of my Ultimate ears.

"I just told ya! Because we need to know if he's on our side first!" Fuyuhiko whispered aggressively.

"Fuyuhiko is right. Hajime was hostile towards us yesterday." Sonia agreed

Hearing them call me Hajime made me cringe a bit, but I continued listening.

"So that's why we need to have him free the other Remnants." Fuyuhiko said

"What?" Akane said, dumbfounded.

"Not so loud! You're gonna wake him up!" Kazuichi whispered

"Sorry..." Akane shrank back

"Here's the plan. We give him the task of reviving our friends. If he actually does it, then he's on our side. And if he doesn't, well, he isn't. Simple enough?" Fuyuhiko proposed

"But... Isn't that machine thing super complicated?" Akane asked

"When we were building that radio, he knew what everything did. He wouldn't let me touch anything, either... And don't forget how he completely rebuilt my hut!" Kazuichi responded

"Yeah, I guess you're right... He's stronger and faster than me, too... He was actually the one who caught most of the chickens..." Akane conceded

"So we know he can definitely do it. We gotta find out if he wants to or not." Fuyuhiko said

Clearly, I didn't want to do that. Having to deal with four of them was difficult enough, let alone four _teen_...

"I am sure we can survive without him if we try!" Sonia assured

"I agree with Miss Sonia!" Kazuichi emphatically whispered

After a second of silence, Fuyuhiko spoke up again.

"Besides, I think him being on his own is better for everyone."

Well, it's a _lot_ better than me being with them...

At that point, I got up slowly. Once I got to the Neo World Program, I would be as far away from those incompetent Remnants as I could get.

I couldn't wait.

As I got up, I could tell my hair grew overnight again, touching the ground even when my head was lifted two feet up. It was almost the same length as it used to be.

But the length of my hair did not matter to me anymore. I am Izuru Kamukura, and my hair should reflect that.

The Remnants heard my jacket shuffling as I moved, and they turned towards me. I wanted to see how they would handle this...

"Mornin', Hajime!" Akane said, grinning widely as she usually does. I cringed again at the mention of my previous name, but I accepted it this time. Just two more minutes...

Her smile only looked somewhat fake. It seemed that Akane was the only one who actually wanted me to stay.

And that was because of all the food I gathered...

"Morning" I said. It was a hollow greeting.

I started walking over to the firepit, crackling slowly and quietly. It was glowing a dull red, only slightly illuminated the Remnants. I could feel their impatience. I wanted to finish this conversation as much as they did.

As I was about three feet away from the firepit, Fuyuhiko started speaking.

"So, Hajime... We've been surviving pretty nicely for the past couple days. Now, I think it's time we try to save the other Remnants, ya hear?" Fuyuhiko said, with a persuasive style typical of the Ultimate Yakuza.

"That is reasonable." I agreed

"You know how that machine works, right? You were telling me about it yesterday." Kazuichi mentioned.

"Yes." I spoke. There was no reason to spend more energy than necessary on useless filler words.

"And so, we were thinking... Y'know... That you'd know what to do to free them." Kazuichi rambled

"I mean, unless you wanna go find more food-" Akane grumbled, but Sonia interrupted her

"Can you please revive our friends, Hajime?"

I didn't want to. But I wasn't going to let them know that. This was my one chance to get away from them.

"I will try my best." I lied

"Thanks, Hajime. We'll hold down the fort over here and find some food for tonight." Fuyuhiko said

I see what they're doing... Repetitively calling me Hajime to signify friendship, and that I'm an important member of the group.

However, I'm the only important member in the group. And Hajime is not my name anymore.

I nodded, and started walking up the mountain. As I got further away from the Remnants, I could hear them talking about me.

I didn't care. There is nothing they could say that they haven't already.

Having made this trek yesterday, I got to the Neo World Program quickly. Before I stepped inside the room, I turned and looked back down the mountain. I could see our camp from here.

The Remnants weren't sitting around the firepit. They must have went off to search for food... Without me, they barely found enough for the four of them.

I turned around and walked inside the room that contained the computer and the sleeping Remnants.

I stared at them for a second, and then turned around. There was only one thing I came up here to do.

To read Kyoko's book in peace.

I slipped the book out of my jacket. The word 'Hajime' on the cover caused me to pause for a second before I continued reading.

Does Kyoko expect me to be Hajime Hinata? Does she want me to be someone who I'm not, just so we could be together? Because that isn't happening...

No... From what I remember, the only thing standing between us was the constant conflict between Hope and Despair... And I've given up on both of those...

I have come to realize that beyond Hope and Despair, there is a third path that we can take.

And that is Ambivalence. Not caring about anything or anyone else, and just letting the world pass you by, just like the wind. Being content with what you have, not striving for more, and not depriving yourself or others to get less.

All I want is Kyoko. Then, we can follow the path of Ambivalence until death. There is nothing in the world that would satisfy me more.

I chuckled. Currently, there _isn't_ anything in the world that satisfies me...

Except this book.

I sat down in the entrance of the Neo World Program and continued where I left off in Kyoko's book. The rest of the world started to fade away.

I read past our first kiss, in the sunset on a grassy hill. If I was not sure of her feelings before, I was completely sure at that point. We were meant for each other.

I read past her first steps into my house. She invited herself in, after discovering my secret hideout. We slept together, and she spent the next couple days living with me. It gave those days so much more meaning...

I read past her passionate talk about how she would give up everything for me, if only I would do the same. She continually asserted that living a life without both Hope and Despair was possible, however I failed to believe that. Because at that point, it _was_ impossible.

I read past my capture, and her reasoning for it. I read past our police car ride to the Future Foundation's Headquarters. I read past my conversation with her about how we could not be together, and her tearful and distressed response.

And then I read past the part where she learned about what the Neo World Program would do to me, and her idea to preserve our relationship.

And then I reached the end of the book.

I turned it around to make sure there was nothing on the back, and when that was confirmed, I slipped it back in my jacket and stared at the pale red sky in front of me. The transparent white clouds moved slowly across it, the sun hiding behind them.

It was all the same. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

It was only around two in the afternoon. And I had nothing to do.

I took a couple minutes to fully realize my feelings from reading this book.

The longing in my heart was only amplified. I didn't know how I survived without her...

And now she's away from me, with the Future Foundation. There's no way I could live like this... Alone...

Fuyuhiko's statement from earlier rang in my ears.

 _"Besides, I think him being on his own is better for everyone"_

He thought he was right, but he was wrong. Wrong about two people.

Me. And Kyoko.

My eyes focused in on the horizon, vainly attempting to see her, wherever she was.

I let her go. But that doesn't mean I can't take her back.

My eyes squinted a bit as a plan started brewing in my head... A plan that would let us live the life of Ambivalence together...

It would require much preparation, and careful planning. But I am Izuru Kamukura. The Ultimate Ultimate.

I cannot possibly fail.

Kyoko's connection with the Future Foundation would have to be eliminated... And so would my connection with Despair...

The easiest way to do that is to topple the Foundation itself. There is no other way to ensure that we do not involve ourselves in this fight again.

And the Future Foundation wouldn't let me just walk in there and destroy it. It could reform just as easily. And that would only reinforce my connection with Despair.

The Future Foundation has to destroy itself. That way, there would be no reason to reform.

Especially if Despair didn't fight back.

I began thinking about what could possibly cause the Future Foundation to implode, and the answer came to me pretty quickly. It was simple, although I felt guilty about coming to this conclusion.

Infiltrate the Foundation with Despair.

As seen in Junko's famous Incident that I was so _honored_ to be a part of, the members will turn on each other and question everyone's goals.

As much as I didn't want to cause more Despair, it was perfect for this.

What we need is one last, Ultimate fight between Hope and Despair.

I have come to the realization that the more Hope and Despair clash, the weaker they become.

Most others have a different philosophy. They think that there is a power struggle between these two beliefs.

But in reality, the amount of Hope in the world and the amount of Despair in the world is always equal. They are complements of each other. As the amount of Hope decreases, the amount of Despair needed to counteract that Hope also decreases. It is only logical.

And what happens when both the amount of Hope and the amount of Despair are zero?

That results in the third path. Ambivalence.

And so, the goal of my plan became clear.

Eliminate Hope. Eliminate Despair. Then what remains is exactly what I want.

My eyes focused in on the horizon once more, as the sun was peeking out slightly from behind the clouds. She's out there... Somewhere...

Kyoko, just wait a little longer... Our life beyond Hope and Despair starts here...

I pulled myself up and started walking down the mountain again. The wind started to pick up, and the leaves began rustling on the trees. My hair blew around frantically, and some of the small green leaves managed to fly off the trees and into my hair.

Nevertheless, I continued my pace. There was something down there that I needed...

I eventually reached the campsite. It was deserted; because those incompetent Remnants were still hunting for food.

Good. They didn't need to know about this.

I double-checked that the Remnants were indeed not there, and then I went about my business.

I walked back over to my hut where I left the radio last night. Without a second look, I picked it up and quickly started walking back in the direction from which I came.

Infiltrating the Future Foundation from the inside would require _talking_ to someone from the inside...

And it could not be Kyoko. She must have nothing to do with this plan. Her safety is my top priority.

Besides, her rank is not high enough to spread Despair throughout the whole organization. I would need someone else... someone who has much more control over the Future Foundation...

Since I was the Ultimate Ultimate, and the Ultimate Remnant, I memorized everything about the Future Foundation. Who the members were. Where they were located. What security systems and technology they possessed, and how to break them.

My mind scrolled quickly through the member list, and it stopped for a second on Chisa Yukizome.

Yukizome... Another Remnant... She managed to find her way into the Future Foundation through the help of the imperceptive Kyosuke Munakata...

She would without question agree to any plan I mentioned that involved Despair. However, the concern is that she would not be able to reach deep enough...

As I finished remembering the last couple members, there was only one option that remained.

I had to go straight to the top. To the chairman of the Future Foundation. Kazuo Tengan.

My ability to manipulate Tengan did not concern me at all. Because I am Izuru Kamukura. I am the Ultimate Ultimate. Everyone else is inferior.

After some time, I stepped back into the familiar metal-walled room. I sat down near the Neo World Program, and I began to gather the spare parts that I removed from the machine that we did not use to build the radio.

I placed the radio down on the floor, and started to improve it to add the feature that I did not add yesterday. Two-way communication.

It was very simple to add. Kazuichi is inept for not even thinking of it...

Within a half hour, I had the radio working exactly the way I wanted it to. The screen on the radio allowed me to see the face of who I was talking with, and I added a front-facing camera so they could see me as well.

I also added the ability to hack into any radio station, and the networks supporting them, provided I knew the security systems. So all I had to do was connect to the Future Foundation's radio tower, and use my knowledge of their networks to get my radio connection inside the building. Then, I could reroute the destination to be the office of chairman Kazuo Tengan.

I powered on the radio, and I tuned it to my target radio tower.

I took a deep breath to prepare myself. My plan starts now.

Wait...

I heard something...

There was some quiet whispering not too far away from here...

It was the Remnants again... What do they want _now_?

I put the radio down and walked outside. After a couple seconds, I could see the four Remnants walking up the path to the Neo World Program. They stopped when they saw me standing outside. Sonia was carrying a skewer with some chicken on it.

Food... for me?

I gave them a slight condescending look as Fuyuhiko took a few steps forward.

"Hey, Hajime. We thought we'd, y'know, bring you up some dinner." Fuyuhiko said

I internally sighed. Looks like I would never truly be rid of that name...

"Yeah, you must be gettin' pretty hungry workin' hard on that machine." Akane joined in

Yes, I _was_ getting hungry...

But I didn't need their sympathy. I could handle myself.

"I'm fine." I said

"Are ya sure?" Akane asked, confused.

But before I could respond, Sonia ran up to me and looked me in the eyes, displaying a concerned look. She held out the skewer to me.

"Hajime, here. Please do not starve..."

I raised my eyebrows at her action, but it seemed sincere. I slowly reached out my arms and grabbed the skewer from her.

This was the fastest way to get rid of them.

"Thanks." I answered monotonously. It was only courteous.

Sonia smiled and nodded at my comment, and then turned around and started walking back to the other Remnants.

"Hajime... By the way... How's progress on saving them?" Fuyuhiko asked, almost as if on cue.

The Remnants must not have noticed, but they all had eager looks on their faces.

And I saw the true reason why they came up here. To see what I was doing. To see if I was working on freeing their friends...

It felt like they were treating me like a tool... And that they were treating me as a friend so that I didn't realize that...

But I notice everything.

I didn't care how they treated me... I just wanted them gone...

All I had to do was to wait for my plan to succeed... Only a couple days...

"I'm making good progress. It should be another couple days before they are revived." I lied

"But I thought you knew how this machine worked!" Kazuichi objected

It seems they understand my Ultimate abilities... He is correct in that I could have been done by now...

So why _would_ this process take more than a day...

"I do not have the necessary parts for the machine. So I had to fix the radio and add two-way communication so I could order them."

It was not the best lie, but it was the first one I came up with that I knew would work.

"So that's where the radio went... I was lookin' for that..." Kazuichi responded

Yes, I'm sure they were... And they will not be using it ever again...

"Yes, it is. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to order these parts. Good bye."

I turned around and started walking back inside, not waiting for any other conversation. I had a plan to execute.

I ate my undercooked chicken and watched the typical red sunset as the Remnants made their way down the mountain. Once they were far enough away, I threw the skewer across the room and picked up the radio again.

I turned it on, and it was tuned to the same station as before.

There was not anything to stop me now. It was time.

I smirked a bit. I would have to turn back into Despair-filled Izuru Kamukura for this conversation...

I was not particularly looking forward to it, but it sure was different.

I pressed the button that enabled the connection and the security breach.

After about a minute of waiting, the static on the screen faded away, and I could see a man sitting in a chair.

The room was metallic, very much like this one. There was a huge control panel in front of the chair.

And, just as I expected, the room was empty besides the man sitting there. He was in a light tan coat, and he was wearing glasses. His hair and beard were white, and both ended in a point on opposite sides of his face. His face displayed the wrinkles typical of a person his age.

He seemed surprised for a second, but then his face shifted to a more stern expression.

"Izuru Kamukura..." he said in his old, frail voice.

A sinister smile forced its way onto my face as I began speaking.

"Headmaster Tengan. We meet again."


	5. Coercion

"It looks like you haven't changed." Kazuo Tengan said, still keeping his stoic expression.

Yes, it only looks like that. Because I can put on whatever face I want. I gave Tengan a condescending look.

"It is imbecilic to believe that such a simple machine could change me."

Tengan's demeanor did not budge. He _did_ have experience dealing with enemies...

"I see... It's unfortunate that Makoto's plan failed. It had such good intentions..."

"Next time, he should account for the possibility of malicious viruses."

My aggressive character was not getting to Tengan. My previous statement only made him more pensive. He raised his right hand and started slowly stroking his beard.

"I must let him know about the results of his program..."

They _must_ be back at the Future Foundation's Headquarters by now. It has been a couple days.

As much as I wanted to directly ask Tengan the whereabouts of Kyoko Kirigiri, that would be suboptimal. No one else must know of our relationship.

Because the more you grow attached to, the more your enemies can threaten you with. To pull off a successful negotiation, there must be no way that you can lose the upper hand. You must be willing to lose everything.

Not that I _was_. It just had to appear that way.

Makoto Naegi knowing about our relationship is more than enough. He was there when Kyoko turned me in.

Yet, he will not be a thorn in my side for this plan. He would not do anything with that information, other than to help Kyoko.

So I shifted my speech to make it seem that I was interested in their Despair and not their location.

"I must know how this makes him feel... Perhaps _Despair_..."

"Makoto Naegi knows no Despair. When he gets back, he will instantly begin to devise ways to save you and the Remnants again."

Tengan's eyes squinted and focused in on mine.

"And when that happens, you better be ready."

Ah, so they're not back yet...

My sinister grin did not waver as I continued talking, not letting Tengan have the upper hand.

"When _will_ that happen? You just said they have not even returned yet. At this rate, Despair will engulf the world before they even have a chance to save it."

Tengan gave me a pensive look, and then he nodded his head.

"I would assume the boat is making a pit stop on its way back to Headquarters..."

Yes, that is the only option. But why...

And then I remembered.

Towa City...

I let the Remnants borrow the Junko Enoshima program so it could be installed in two worthless bears. The _nerve_ they had when they asked me to manually retrieve it...

But I did. And I learned about what happened on that island.

Komaru Naegi, the sister of that happy-go-lucky boy Makoto Naegi, and Toko Fukawa, one of Makoto's classmates, managed to defeat Monaca Towa and her so-called 'Warriors of Hope' and free the city from Despair. Albeit only temporarily, as the radio has shown us.

This is the continuous struggle of two incompetent forces, neither winning, and as one gets stronger, so does the other. Exactly the problem I wish to fix with Ambivalence.

All of that aside, the reason that the ship is taking a pit stop is because Byakuya Togami needs to go back to Towa City, to repay Komaru and Toko for saving him.

"Have you even received word that the ship landed in Towa City yet?" I asked smugly.

A smile forced its way onto Tengan's face.

"Very perceptive. Still as Ultimate as ever, I see."

After a second of silence, Tengan's face got darker as the smile disappeared.

"Why did you call me, Izuru Kamukura?"

I took a deep breath, and began forcing my thoughts into Tengan's mind.

"Headmaster Tengan, do you ever get bored of the constant conflict between Hope and Despair? Do you ever feel that this battle will last indefinitely? Do you ever feel that no matter how hard you try, Hope will never truly conquer Despair?"

Tengan did take a moment to consider my words, which meant they did their job. His response was typical at best.

"The length of the war does not matter. What matters is the cause. I will continue to fight for Hope, for as long as it takes to be able to defeat Despair. We will continue to make the Foundation stronger so we can eventually reach this goal."

Exactly my point. One is only as strong as the other. Tengan isn't as enlightened as me, though, so he does not understand this.

"Ah, yes. But you cannot deny that it does get boring, repeating the same thing _over_ and _over_ again. I would know. Everything is boring to me."

I deepened my inflection at the last part to add a more menacing tone to my voice. I could tell Tengan wanted to agree with my statement, but he did not say so. So I continued talking.

"What if I told you we could, expedite the process a bit?"

"What are you suggesting?"

Tengan's eyes squinted as he tried to read my mind. But I had nothing to worry about.

"One last battle between Hope and Despair. One final showdown, winner takes all. Then, there will be no more boring conflict. No more fighting. There will just be, life."

It was not _really_ a winner takes all battle, because both forces would be eliminated. I just had to frame it that way, so Tengan would agree.

"Hmmm..."

Tengan slowly stroked his beard with his thumb and index finger, considering his options.

Because he believed he had options, when in reality, he did not. He _will_ agree.

"I accept your challenge. With our secret weapon, we cannot lose."

Hmpf. How imbecilic. No one defeats Izuru Kamukura.

But this secret weapon... It was nice of him to bring that up...

"What secret weapon could possibly defeat me?"

"There is no reason for me to tell you."

"Yet there is no way you can hide it from me. You forget who I am."

After a couple seconds of contemplation, Tengan spoke again.

"The opposite of Junko Enoshima's Despair Video. Ryota Mitarai's Hope Video. Anyone watching this video instantly forgets everything other than Hope."

Interesting... But there was no way he was telling the truth.

"You are bluffing." I said convincingly, "If you _did_ have such a weapon, you would be using it on _me_ right now, through this computer screen."

Tengan looked a bit startled, but then regained his composure.

"I am not bluffing, Izuru Kamukura. The Future Foundation does indeed possess this weapon."

"Then where is it?" I quickly growled

"Ryota Mitarai has the video, although I cannot convince him to use it. However, I made sure he knows to use this video if threatened."

Ah... So this is the situation...

"So you will not attack unless your enemy attacks first."

"It seems that is the case. Quite unfortunate, actually. I tried countless times to persuade him to broadcast it to the world, but he would not budge..."

How incompetent. Being a member of a Foundation dedicated towards Hope, and not wanting to give your side the win when you could.

The more I thought about it, the more this became an opportunity. To create a situation in which Tengan himself would pit Despair against Hope. The opportunity I was hoping for. And this video was the key.

Tengan would fill the Foundation with enough Despair that Mitarai would, most likely, use his Hope video against the world.

And now the question was how to convince Tengan that this Despair could cause such Hope. An idea started brewing in my head... I did not like it, because it required me to remember a certain Remnant... A Remnant of Despair who is more dedicated towards Hope than most Future Foundation members...

He was actually pretty lucky that I remembered him.

"How to convince Mitarai to use his Hope video..." I said in a pensive voice

Tengan displayed a look of confusion. Probably because I was doing his work for him. Before he could speak, I quoted that worthless Remnant.

"The deeper and darker the Despair... the brighter and more powerful the Hope born from it."

I did not believe those words at all, but I knew Tengan would. His face shifted again to contemplation, because even though he knew I was attempting to corrupt him with Despair, it was all for Hope in the end.

Such futility.

"If I can sacrifice myself to Despair in order to give the whole world Hope, then I would be honored to do so."

Exactly as expected. I grinned maliciously at Tengan. My plan was going well.

"Excellent..." I said menacingly.

After Tengan stared me in the eyes for a second, he began thinking out loud.

"A Despair so dark that it enables the strongest Hope... A Killing Game. It's the only way."

I spoke up afterwards, to guide Tengan's train of thought.

"A Killing Game amongst Future Foundation members... That would sufficiently fill Mitarai with Despair..."

Tengan's demeanor was becoming more grim by the second.

"Yes... Watching the very Foundation he works for be overtaken with Despair..."

My plan was almost complete. The destruction of the Future Foundation would begin shortly. Once the plan was in action, all I had to do was break into their headquarters, find Kyoko, and rescue her.

That, and I had to make sure Mitarai does not _actually_ use the Hope video. Which shouldn't be hard at all. Once the Future Foundation was destroyed, Despair would shrink down to nothingness due to its adversary's elimination - the movement would lose the will to keep improving.

I continued to make the boring menacing face I was so used to making, and started speaking again, to properly frame the situation for Tengan.

"This will be the final Killing Game... The final battle between Hope and Despair... If Mitarai does not use the video, then the Future Foundation will be overtaken, and Despair will be allowed to run freely throughout the world. However, if Mitarai _does_ use the video, then the world will know nothing but Hope."

Neither of these options were going to happen. It will be the third option - the option of Ambivalence - that will win in the end.

"He _will_ use the video. We cannot lose."

How foolish.

"Au contraire, Headmaster. I am the one who cannot lose."

Tengan looked at me with a particularly sinister look, one relatively new. One I have not seen before. His glasses shone white in the camera as he pushed them closer to his face.

"How can you win... If you won't be allowed to play?"

Hm... That's odd...

"What did you say?" I asked

"Izuru Kamukura... You have already provided all the assistance you need. Your role in this plan is finished."

Finished? I experienced a slight pang of nervousness, yet I did not show it obviously. I began to reason with Tengan.

"If this _plan_ is about the fight between Hope and Despair... I believe I am quite welcome, if not necessary."

"This plan is about creating Despair inside the Future Foundation. You have no place in it."

"But without the Ultimate Remnant... the Despair you create will be artificial."

"You will _not_ interfere with my plan. I cannot risk failure."

So Tengan would, somehow, not allow me to partake in this Killing Game... That is not a fair fight between Hope and Despair at all... But then again, Despair never played fairly in the first place...

I should have expected this...

"If I am not allowed to participate... Then the victory would be hollow. The victory would be undeserved. Hope would not be the true winner."

"Yes. But it is a victory nonetheless."

Tengan turned around and began to walk away. But before he left the room, he said one last thing.

"All of the Future Foundation's police forces will be guarding the headquarters during this Killing Game. So don't even think about showing up. Even you, the Ultimate Izuru Kamukura, do not stand a chance against thousands of us."

Tengan abruptly ended the broadcast, as my eyes were getting wider by the second.

Would my plan... Would my plan fail?

I cannot protect Kyoko Kirigiri myself... And she might die because of it...

My thoughts went back to earlier.

 _Because the more you grow attached to, the more your enemies can threaten you with._

My need to be there... My need to protect her... That put a constraint on my plan, one that gave Tengan the upper hand in this negotiation. It was one more way that my plan could go wrong.

I am not saying that my motive was at fault. Having a beneficiary makes planning that much harder, it makes execution require perfection, and it adds another variable into the mix - the beneficiary, someone who is not as perfect as myself. Someone who could mess up my flawlessly executed plan.

And besides, doing things to benefit others is something an Ultimate person such as myself is not familiar with. Because why would I be? Before, there wasn't anyone who was worth doing anything for.

But there is now. And she is worth more to me than anything else in the world.

I stared into the static displaying radio, white noise broadcasting through its antenna. I lost myself for a few seconds in sheer disbelief.

But then I made a decision. A decision to not give up.

I am Izuru Kamukura. The Ultimate Ultimate. I am still stronger than anyone else on this planet.

With my brainpower alone I could find a way to disrupt Tengan's plan and save Kyoko.

However, my new plan would require much more dependence on someone else... Because, as I knew, Tengan would be very prepared for me. There was no way I was getting inside that building with that many guards. I _am_ the Ultimate Ultimate, but I am still human. I still die if I'm shot in the heart. The vessel I carry myself in is nowhere near as perfect as my intelligence...

Even if I disguised myself as someone else... I'd have to eliminate them beforehand. Not to mention I'd have to build a boat and create the disguise with the sparse materials on this island...

There wasn't enough time... I _needed_ to find someone else...

This accomplice would have to do my job for me - to disguise themself, find their way into the Future Foundation, and protect Kyoko by any means necessary.

It made me uneasy to think I would be trusting someone who was imperfect. I could not control the outcome if I did not participate myself. And by any account, these Remnants showed me firsthand the reasons I should not trust anyone other than myself...

But what option did I have? Tengan was forcing my hand... There was no other way...

So the question now became who to ask...

My first thoughts were the Remnants, but I instantly brushed off the thought. As much as they were accessible and willing to help, they were also foolishly incompetent. Those imbeciles would step nowhere near my precious Kyoko. They couldn't even catch enough chicken for dinner. And there was nothing they could do that I couldn't do - they were on the same island that I was.

The list of options was getting thinner by the minute, as I ran through the database of people in my head. There weren't many left in the Despair movement, now that the Remnants were mostly incapacitated.

I slowed my scroll when I reached a certain name. I considered her for a second, and then after a quick runthrough of the rest of my allies, I confirmed that she was the most reliable person.

Yes... This was not perfect, but it was the best I was going to get.

Hm... It looks like _I_ was the one who was lucky that I remembered that Remnant, and what he told me on that lonely boat ride...


	6. Similarity

The only sounds I heard were the crashes of the waves against the sides of the boat. Over and over again, the boat swayed slightly to the waves' motions. Outside the window, I could see the light red sky of dawn, reflecting on the water. The waves were relatively calm, save the ones that we approached. The island we were headed for was in the distance. We were taking forever to get there. Every time I looked back to check our progress, the island was almost the same size as it was before. This boat was going unforgivably slow, thanks to the incompetent fools who built it. I would gladly improve the engine, if they let me.

Because sitting here on this boat was boring.

Looking out the window was boring. But looking anywhere else in the room was just as boring. I was exiled to the cramped lower deck, in which I could barely stand up straight. The smell of seawater overwhelmed the room. I continually shifted my gaze in the off chance I was surprised by something entertaining.

Every time my eyes moved, they went past the Remnant that was sitting across from me. He was a boy, with pale, whitish-yellow hair. He was wearing a black jacket, speckled with red, over a white shirt. Not different at all.

As my eyes passed his face, I could notice him staring at me with those eyes. They were a dull gray, but they were deep at the same time. Deep with nothingness. You could stare into them forever, but you would just fall deeper and deeper into an endless expanse of boring grayness.

It seems I did this for too long, because the Remnant spoke up. His gaze averted mine, looking down. He wrapped his arms around himself, and a grin appeared on his face.

"Who knew someone could be interested in someone as worthless as me for this long?"

I continued to look at him. Although he looked like a typical Remnant, on the inside he was not.

He was the only one who knew that he was worthless. The others could not comprehend this possibility.

So maybe this conversation would actually be entertaining...

"You are certainly worthless." I confirmed.

"Yes... Totally, completely worthless. My Ultimate Talent is not even worth anything. I'm pretty lucky Junko Enoshima accepted someone like me into her ranks."

The boy's voice got more ominous and aggressive with the mention of the Ultimate Despair.

"Junko Enoshima welcomes anyone who supports Despair to her cause."

The boy began to hold in small bursts of compulsory laughter. In between his giggling, he managed to speak.

"But I don't support Despair... I support Hope!... A shining, blazing Hope!... That's why I'm so lucky!..."

The boy finally let the laughter take control of him, letting out the most sinister laugh that I have ever heard.

"HAHAHAHAAAAAA!"

My eyes squinted a bit in disbelief. Remnants are dedicated towards spreading Despair, not Hope. Yet, he is on this ship, heading to the same place I am... What is this boy's story?

Ignoring this boy's obvious issues, I continued to inquire about his status as a Remnant. Because, at this point, he was the most interesting thing in the room.

"If you support Hope as much as you say... What have you done to be captured by the Foundation that supports the very cause you do?"

"What have I done? Well, it's a long story, and I'm sure you wouldn't like to hear about someone as worthless as-"

I interrupted him. Even if he _was_ the most interesting thing here, my time should not be wasted with useless filler.

"Tell me. Now."

The boy closed his eyes and grinned sheepishly, holding his hands in a stand-offish manner.

"O-ok! No need to get-"

"I'm waiting."

After a short pause, the boy finally did what I asked him to do.

"Well, I got captured by some kids. Unlucky, right? I couldn't even stand up to five kids. I had to be their servant while they caused Despair. But then, I had some good luck afterwards and I got to further my actual plan!"

His eyes shone with what seemed like Hope, but it was pale and indiscernible. This conversation was finally getting somewhere, so I decided to keep it up.

"What is your actual plan?"

"Why, to bring about Ultimate Hope, one like no other, by bringing about Ultimate Despair!"

What could he be talking about _now_... This boy's thought pattern is highly unusual...

"Junko Enoshima is the Ultimate Despair. She has already come and gone."

"Yes. That's why I hate her with a burning passion..."

My eyes displayed a condescending gaze at the boy in response to his statement. No other Remnant would dare speak like that...

"If Junko was alive, I could get her to kill you for saying that. In fact, _I_ could kill you for saying that."

"Oh, did I mess up? It looks like my worthless life is finally-"

I already know he's worthless. He should stop mentioning it.

"But I am not going to. Because I do not care enough. Killing you is not worth the energy that would be expended on it."

A second later, the boy responded.

"I couldn't agree more. I'm lucky I'm talking to someone who understands me."

Someone who understands him... He must think I'm his friend, for being able to connect with him on a level that others could not... But I am not his friend. I am Izuru Kamukura. No one is my friend.

Assuming he would spout more of this boring nonsense, I started to turn away. However, the boy interrupted my motion by speaking.

"Y'know... As much as I hate Junko... The world needs more of her."

More of her? I stared at the boy to see where he would take this.

"The deeper and darker the Despair... the brighter and more powerful the Hope born from it."

How interesting... Haven't heard _that_ one before...

I did not shift my gaze, expecting another response.

"You remember the part about those kids? Well, I grabbed one of them afterwards. Monaca Towa. Their leader. I wanted to mold her into a new Ultimate Despair. The successor to Junko Enoshima. It's the least someone like me can do to help. Someone whose only talents are luck and hating everything about Junko Enoshima... Anyways, because the world is flooded with Despair already, Monaca would bring about so much _more_ Despair, that an even stronger Hope than before would have to be born to stop all of it!"

Hm... That is certainly _one_ way to do it... A very unconventional way, but a way nonetheless.

The boy looked thoroughly entertained with his own speech, displaying much more passion than before. He continued speaking once he realized that I would not.

"When I was done, I turned myself in to the Future Foundation. So the new Junko Enoshima would attack them while they were focused on us Remnants. And that should bring about a Despair like no other in the world! I can just see it now..."

The boy shambled over to look outside the window of the ship. His eyes began glowing again, with the typical aura of grayness. And his chest began convulsing in an attempt to hold in laughter again.

"Look... in the distance, can you see it?.. All the Despair?.. Despair just waiting to be overtaken by Hope!.. HAHAHAHAAAAA!"

I took a look out the window. It all looked the same to me. It never looked any different than it did before. I took a moment to wait for the boy to stop his maniacal laughter, and then I spoke.

"I see nothing."

"I guess I'm lucky I can see it..."

The boy swiftly turned his head towards me, eyes gleaming again, mouth wide open.

"How much of that Despair I'm seeing is because of you? What did you do to help Junko Enoshima?"

He does not deserve to know about me. No one does. He barely deserves for _me_ to know about _him_. I found out what I wanted to know. So now, this conversation was finished.

"I will not tell you what I have done. This conversation ends here."

The boy once again gave me the stand-offish look.

"Whoa, whoa, I'm just asking, um... What's your name again?"

"My name does not matter. You will never again get the chance to use it."

The boy then reached his hand up to his chin in a thinking pose, staring away.

"Fine. Have it your way. Someone as worthless as me shouldn't be given important information like that, anyways..."

At this point, I stared back out the window to contemplate our conversation.

So there's another Junko Enoshima out there...

* * *

There's another Junko Enoshima out there. One that would willingly help me with my plan. One that is stronger than any other force of Despair currently on this planet.

And her name is Monaca Towa.

Hurriedly, I shifted the knobs on the radio, allowing it to home in on the radio tower that we listened to last night. The report from Towa City...

The radio displayed static for a couple seconds. A couple very long seconds...

Once my connection went through, I located Monaca Towa's radio system easily. And knowing what I did about the Future Foundation's security system, hacking _this_ one was a breeze. Once I was in, it showed the static again, connecting me to her main computer.

Come on... Hurry up...

BLIP

The static then cleared away, and I could see a little girl walking over to her computer screen. She seemed very angry at something, hands in fists, displaying a very childlike pout. Monaca was a relatively short girl, wearing a dark suit with a red bow-tie. As a matter of fact, her clothing looked _exactly_ like Junko Enoshima's. Even her hair was in the same style, except for the fact that it was green.

"Who- Would- Disturb- Monaca- At- This-"

Once she looked at the screen, she stopped moving. Her green, target-like eyes grew wider as she saw who was contacting her. Her left hand flew to her mouth, and she remained like that for a few seconds. After this initial disbelief, Monaca finally spoke. She almost squealed with glee, turning side to side.

"Kam-u-ku-ra Sen-paiiiiii!"

My eyes forcibly widened as the flashback hit. I remember that day very clearly... Junko and Mukuro breaking into the cold, dark cell I was staying in... Junko Enoshima saying the same exact thing... Doing the same exact motion...

No... It would not be like before... I understand now...

When I came to, my eyes were closed, and I was grimacing widely, to prevent the former Despair from re-entering my body. Recognizing that I was currently on call with Monaca, and that I had to keep a certain character, I quickly reopened my eyes and put on my Despair face.

Monaca's eyes were wide open, mouth in a small circle, seemingly surprised at my reaction. From that face... I could tell that she expressed sympathy... Maybe even empathy? I was not sure yet...

But Junko Enoshima never expressed these emotions. Not once. How odd...

Disregarding this, I began my speech anyways.

"Hello, Monaca Towa."

Monaca hurriedly rushed to her chair and sat down, staring at me.

She looked so much like Junko Enoshima... It felt more and more like I would be thrust back into my old life by speaking with her...

No. This is not the same. I am in control here. Not her.

"Monaca is very happy to see Izuru Kamukura! Big Sis Junko told me _all_ about him! Can Monaca have his autograph?"

Her eyes twinkled like a kid's would in a candy store.

"In due time..."

Monaca almost squealed again, but regained control of herself. After a second, she struck a thinking pose, with her left index finger on her chin.

"What is Izuru calling about?"

I grinned even wider, to display malice.

"Izuru has a plan and he would be _very_ happy if Monaca participated in it."

Monaca smiled.

"What sorta plan?"

"Infiltrating the Future Foundation... And spreading Despair..."

Monaca seemed to display the same jittery behavior as before, but something was off. This time, it seemed less genuine...

"That's exactly what _Monaca_ wanted to do! How'd Izuru know?"

"I am Izuru Kamukura. I know everything."

"Everything?" Monaca asked with suspicion.

"Yes."

"Well... What's Monaca's favorite food?"

Hm... Interesting question... It would be a hard one, too, if I didn't see the Monokuma behind her bringing her a large ice cream sundae, filled to the brim with different flavors and toppings. It was the most colorful display that I've seen in a long time.

"Ice cream." I stated confidently.

A surprised look appeared on Monaca's face. At least, until the Monokuma brought her the ice cream. Then, she turned away and pouted slightly, cheeks puffing out.

"No fair! That was too easy!"

After a second, Monaca asked again. But I did not have time for such worthless games...

"What is-"

"Monaca" I said, monotone.

"Whattttt?" she said in a sarcastic tone, as she put the first scoop of ice cream in her mouth.

"We need to discuss the plan."

Her eyes only slightly rose as she focused in on me and not the ice cream. It seems she was less attached to spreading Despair than I thought... Interesting...

"Yeah! What will Monaca be doing?"

The thought finally came to me that for some reason, I never once thought of Monaca as worthless or imbecilic... Those thoughts seemed to flush out of my head when I was talking with her. Almost like I was a different person...

I tried to pinpoint the reason why. Maybe it is because she looked like Junko Enoshima, who was neither worthless nor imbecilic... Or maybe because she is a pitiful little girl, with nothing to lose... Or maybe it is because I needed her help with my plan... Or maybe it was something different entirely...

Nevertheless, the gears in my mind continued to turn as I started explaining my plan to Monaca.

Except for the part about protecting Kyoko, obviously. I would save that for last, after she agreed. I would frame it as taking a prisoner, so she did not realize what was truly happening...

"There will be a Killing Game happening soon in the Future Foundation. At their Headquarters. I need you to secretly crash their party and... make sure everything runs smoothly. Maybe kill a few people here or there."

Her eyes grew wider as I spoke. I could not tell if they grew in joy or in fear, but from her previous actions, I assumed the latter. Especially because of the slightly lackluster response.

"Killing Games are Monaca's absolute favorite! Monaca would love to go help spread Despair!"

She then ate another scoop of her ice cream, which she seemed more invested in.

Hm... What happened to her... I thought that she was sculpted into Junko Enoshima... So why is she so indecisive in her responses...

And then it hit me.

Maybe she realized the same thing I did. The Path of Ambivalence.

Maybe she truly stopped caring anymore, and she didn't want anything to do with this. Yet, her status as the successor of Junko Enoshima has been preventing her from doing anything about her feelings...

Now that I thought of it, that's probably why she was so easy to talk to... And the reason I could put up with her... Because her demeanor was very much like mine.

A smile forced its way onto my face. Maybe this will turn out better than I thought... And maybe I could help someone else, too...

But I could not make assumptions. I had to confirm this for myself.

Monaca got up from her seat quickly, and a bit awkwardly. She looked at me with shaky, yet determined eyes.

"Monaca has to get ready now for her new mission!"

She started to daintily run off, pigtails bobbing as she moved. But I stopped her.

"Monaca... I have one more request."

She seemed surprised by my statement, and she turned around cautiously. Her head tilted slightly.

"Hm?"

I had to test if she was truly dedicated towards Despair or not. This one question would do...

"I also would like you to protect someone during this Killing Game. Her name is Kyoko Kirigiri."

Monaca took a second in contemplation, but she answered quickly.

"Ok!"

She then began running off again. I brought my hand up to my face and sighed.

"Monaca... Wait."

Monaca turned around in place with her cheeks puffed out, and then began stomping back over to the computer.

"Why- Does- Monaca- Have- To- Wait?"

"Because... Doesn't something seem off?"

"Huh?"

Monaca gave me a dumbfounded look. That didn't stop her from sneaking in a spoonful of ice cream.

"The successor of Junko Enoshima... Agreeing to protect someone... Seems a bit strange, wouldn't you say?"

I grinned a bit, and Monaca's face turned slightly red. She receded slightly, and gave me an aggressive response.

"Well, so what? What do _you_ know?"

"I know everything. Remember?"

Monaca's expression grew angrier as she realized I outwitted her. She was looking away from the screen at this point, with her eyes closed.

"Monaca. There is no point in hiding anything from me. I will find out eventually."

Monaca still did not want to speak with me, so I decided to tell her directly.

"I know how you feel. Because I feel the same thing."

At this point, her eyes opened slightly, and she looked at me with curiosity.

"You do?"

"Yes. Not wanting to endure this fight between Hope and Despair any longer. It is useless and boring."

Monaca's eyes showed signs of longing as she responded.

"Yeah... Monaca doesn't wanna fight anymore..."

But her expression became confused when she remembered about my plan.

"Wait. That plan... Why did you call Monaca about Despair if you don't like it anymore?"

"For the same reason you agreed to the plan without questioning me. We wanted to hide our true feelings."

Monaca's expression remained static for a couple seconds, but then she melted. Her eyes shone brighter than before, and I could see tears forming.

"Please don't tell anyone that Monaca gave up..."

"Of course. No one else can know that I have forsaken Despair, either. To the world, I will still be Izuru Kamukura, the one who caused The Incident."

The mention of it startled my memory again. Watching all those students kill each other... For absolutely no reason... And how Junko Enoshima walked off afterwards, like it was nothing...

I was lucky Monaca spoke up and snapped me out of it.

"Izuru, Monaca is tired of everything. Monaca just wants to relax... forever..."

She stretched her arms out and yawned quietly. Then, she continued to dig in to her ice cream sundae.

Well, there's _one_ thing she's not tired of...

Anyways, we need to work together. So that we both can achieve Ambivalence. A new plan started forming in my head... A much more complicated one than before...

But this plan would work. It _had_ to work...

"I can help you with that."

Monaca's eyes grew wide and she quickly jolted her face towards the computer screen.

"Really? You'd help Monaca?"

"Yes. We can help each other."

"What can Monaca do to help?"

Monaca displayed the most sincere, caring look I have seen in a long time. I chuckled. I have been away from Kyoko for too long... But that's about to change.

"As I told you before, there _will_ be a Killing Game within the Future Foundation. I don't care about you killing anyone. I only need you to protect Kyoko Kirigiri, without getting caught in the act, and bring her to me _only_ once the rest of the Foundation members are dead. So that she and I can live our lives together away from Hope and Despair."

Monaca's face lightened up and a smile slowly grew on her face.

"Kamukura Senpai has a girrrrrl-friennnnnd!"

I could tell my face growing red, for some reason that emotion escaped my control. Attempting to ignore her comment, I continued talking.

"And you would join us wherever we ended Future Foundation would not pursue us because it would be destroyed. And we would not be called on by Despair because there would be nothing for us to fight against. You would help with this?"

"Of course Monaca would help, silly. Who is Monaca to stand in the way of true love?"

Monaca continued shoving ice cream into her mouth, some dripping down her chin in her haste.

"Thank you."

I smiled genuinely. I barely did that anymore in public... Because no other person has made me happy.

Monaca Towa... From the bottom of my heart... Thank you...

It seems I was right to put my faith in you... Someone who fights for the same cause would obviously be more dedicated...

Monaca giggled a bit, and then began tapping her chin.

"So Monaca would need to sneak into the Future Foundation's Headquarters..."

"Yes. You would ideally want a disguise of some sort... So the rest of the Foundation would not notice you... I would have considered disguising myself, if I had access to more materials... This island is almost barren..."

Monaca continued to think, but before I could suggest my strategy, her eyes sparkled and she spoke up.

"Monaca knows exactly what to do! Monaca will call you back in a bit!"

Monaca smiled as she held her left hand up and displayed a peace sign.

"But-"

Monaca ended the call abruptly, ignoring the start of my sentence.

I turned off the radio and set it aside. I then stared at the moon, far away, in the dark night sky. I could not help but embrace the sinking feeling that I was no longer in control.

What was she going to do... What if she messes up, and our plan is revealed?.. Why didn't she confirm her strategy with me, so I would know if it would work or not?..

Could I, Izuru Kamukura, lose?

These thoughts were flooding my head, just like Despair did back in those early days... It was like inflating a soccer ball. The air swirls around, and as more air pushes its way in, the ball gets more and more bloated until it cannot hold any more.

And then it would pop.

At this point, I took a deep breath. Everything will be fine. Monaca will do the right thing.

I took another deep breath. I should not worry over this. There is no reason to stress over what you cannot fix.

Hm... Even telling myself this, I still felt the vestiges of my anxious thoughts remain in my head...

I needed sleep. I had a long day.

I looked downwards, at the campsite. There was no light in the firepit. The Remnants must have went to bed already.

There was no reason to go down there. Those Remnants and I do not belong together. They are completely different from me now...

Maybe I should tell them the truth about how I'm not saving their friends...

But that was a thought for a later time. I needed some rest.

I laid down on the cold metal surface of the computer room, and closed my eyes.

Hopefully, everything would be better in the morning...


	7. Trust

"Kam-u-ku-ra Sen-paiiiiii!"

My eyes slowly opened, still groggy from sleep. What time was it...

My back ached a bit from sleeping on hard metal. It was a dull pain, but it didn't matter to me. I had more important things to consider. I gradually pulled myself up and looked out into the sky. The sun was barely visible, which meant that it was about five in the morning. Calling this early...

I smirked a bit. Calling this early shows dedication. Has Monaca made progress already?

The radio was blaring next to me, with Monaca desperately trying to get my attention. I slowly turned over to her, still not entirely awake.

"Kamu- Kura- Sen- pai- Notice- Monaca-"

When I made eye contact with her through the radio's screen, her pout-like face grew into a smile.

"Monaca's disguise is ready! You wanna see?"

Already... All of the various thoughts in my head instantly vanished, to be replaced with only anticipation and gratitude. I did not expect her to be _this_ efficient... Especially because of all the incompetency I've been around in the past couple days... Maybe Monaca Towa _was_ someone I could trust...

Obviously, I would need to see the disguise myself, to ensure it would actually get the job done. Blindly trusting anyone was _not_ something I liked to do...

"Show me." I said

"Ok!"

Monaca's eyes twinkled as she pressed a button on her control board. The image on my radio display instantly shifted to an entirely different one, showing a much darker room. From the time stamps in the corner of the image, I could tell it was a recording camera. The room was undecorated and windowless, with a small bed attached to the wall.

Despite the room's size, there was only one person in it. There was a small woman in a wheelchair, sitting in the corner. Her dull blue hair and brown coat contrasted with the massive red scarf that was wrapped around her neck. There was a computer screen sitting on her lap, but it was turned off. She was shrunk back in her wheelchair as far as she could be, shivering and twitching seemingly beyond control. I then looked into her light blue eyes.

Shaking. Scared. In complete Despair.

Visions of the first Killing Game at Hope's Peak Academy came back to me, and I had to turn away for a moment, closing my eyes quickly.

This was not Monaca's disguise. This was Miaya Gekkogahara, a member of the Future Foundation, as scared as a mouse in a cat's presence.

Did Monaca capture her, and throw her in this jail cell?

"Monaca. You recently captured this woman?"

"Mhm!"

Monaca nodded her head in a childish manner.

Capturing a Future Foundation Member was not an easy task. But if you had access to an almost limitless amount of Monokumas, overwhelming anyone became infinitely easier. The only surprising thing was that Miaya was all by herself.

I _could_ see where she was going with this... But I would have preferred to see the actual disguise instead.

"This is Miaya Gekkogahara, the Ultimate Therapist. This is not your disguise."

Monaca took a second to respond. It seemed like she did not know this woman's name, because she began repeating it silently to herself.

"You're right! Monaca is Monaca, not Miaya. But Miaya will be Monaca's disguise!"

"Show me." I said again.

Monaca then turned off the camera display, and as the video focused on her, she took a couple steps away from her computer. Her body was directed towards the entrance to her room, yet her face was still looking at me. Over a couple seconds, Monaca pulled her arms close to her body, and then stretched them out towards the door.

"Ta daaaa!"

Monaca's face displayed eagerness, excitement, and joy, all at once. I chuckled a bit. I forget the last time I saw an expression like _that_...

After a second, a robot began rolling its way into the room, slowly. A robot that looked exactly like Miaya Gekkogahara.

Now, making a robot like this is not particularly difficult. I could do it in half the time, if I had access to all the parts. But I've grown to expect this level of detail from myself only. It was shocking to see someone like Monaca create such a robot...

Even though I expected my eyes to widen in amazement, they did not budge.

"Monaca is good at building robots, so she built a robot as a disguise!"

"I see..."

Monaca rushed back over to her control panel, and started mashing at the keyboard. Her eyes were looking down intently, with determination. Her tongue stuck out of the side of her mouth slightly as she typed more.

Then, she slammed the enter button and looked behind her at the robot. A pink rabbit, almost built like Monokuma, appeared on robot Miaya's computer screen and began speaking. For some reason, that rabbit felt strangely familiar...

 _"Kamukura Senpai has a girlfriend!"_ the rabbit spoke, causing me to smirk. Monaca smiled in response. It's been awhile since anyone toyed with me. It was quite refreshing.

"Monaca will talk to everyone through the computer, so Monaca's disguise would be a secret!"

Yes. Miaya Gekkogahara doesn't speak very much... She was the perfect target for Monaca.

That, and Monaca already has plenty of experience with wheelchairs.

"Monaca also hid weapons on the robot just in case!"

She pressed a button on her control panel, and the robot transformed, growing legs and extending out arms made of sharp metal. Monaca quickly pressed the button again to revert it.

Monaca _did_ think of everything... All that experience building combat Monokumas must have been helpful...

As much as I didn't want to admit it, I was impressed. This robot would not be detected by the Future Foundation, and it had the power to protect both Kyoko Kirigiri and itself.

Monaca's eyes shimmered, waiting for my response. I nodded in acceptance.

"Good job. Now, listen closely. There will be a boat arriving at Towa City any day now, with Future Foundation members on board. I want you to make sure this robot gets on that boat, because it will be going directly to the Future Foundation's Headquarters."

"Monaca will drive her robot to the dock and wait patiently!"

"Make sure to have it behave like a human would. Do not blow your cover this early."

I _had_ to confirm this with her, after she irrationally hung up on me earlier. There was _no_ room for error. I felt like a parent guiding their child, continually reassuring the same old rules just in case they were forgotten. I barely felt like this anymore; it has always been simpler to do things myself than to trust someone else to do it correctly _and_ waste time explaining to them exactly how it should be done. But I can't really do this by myself...

Hmpf. Having someone else do something for me was certainly _different_... Maybe it's good for me after all...

I smirked. It certainly meant that I would be bored less of the time.

"Of course, silly! Monaca will get going now! Bye, Kamukura Senpai!"

She ended the call with a stiff but courteous hand wave and a large smile.

I sat there, with nothing to do again. I slept for a couple hours, considering how Monaca woke me up quite early. Then, I looked for some food in the jungle, because there was nothing else worth doing. I brought six dead chickens back to the metal encased room, hiding them just in case the Remnants came to visit. I made sure they did not see me while I was searching, because I was supposed to be working on the Neo World Program...

Hm... What _of_ the Neo World Program... I turned to the containment cells in the room.

How much longer can I hold up the lie that I'm actually helping Despair? How much time will the Remnants take until they realize that I'm not really working on the Neo World Program? And what will they do when they find out?

As I began thinking about this, I heard a familiar voice on the radio. I swiftly picked it up.

"Monaca's boat has just arrived!"

Monaca gave me a thumbs-up and a wink through the screen. I had to see it to believe it, however.

"Show me."

"Monaca will connect your display to Miaya's camera right away!"

With a couple keyboard strokes and some mouse clicking, Monaca's face shrunk to the bottom left corner of the screen, and a new image instantly appeared in the empty space on the display.

I could tell from the image that Miaya was indeed at the docks. In the background was the same large Future Foundation ship that left Jabberwock Island a couple days ago.

But I could not see much else, because there was something blocking my view.

There was a figure in the middle of the display, that took up about two thirds of the screen. It was the lower half of a woman, centered on her hips. The woman's tight, black skirt accentuated her slight curves, only reaching a few inches down her legs. Even without the long, beautiful purple hair blowing in the wind behind her, I knew exactly who she was.

I was staring at Kyoko Kirigiri's torso.

Almost like a switch was turned on in my mind, my temperament changed. I became more focused on the video, all of my senses devoted to that screen. If anything happened to her...

Even so, the fact that my eyes were fixated on Kyoko's lower body got to me. My face grew red.

Monaca did this on purpose, didn't she?

"Monaca, tilt the camera up."

Monaca displayed a mischievous smile, "Monaca thinks it's fine where it is."

"Monaca, just do it."

Monaca pouted a bit, her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel's. She reluctantly agreed.

"Ok, fine..."

 _"Wait up!"_

A voice shouted from the radio. The voice of Makoto Naegi. From one side of the screen, I noticed him running to catch up to Kyoko and Miaya. Even though he is the Ultimate Hope, he does act like a kid sometimes.

Monaca began tilting the camera upwards as he was running. Kyoko was wearing a small black jacket to go over her formal, white shirt. She also had on her classic dark gloves.

My eyes widened as the camera rose past Kyoko's chest and reached her face. Her light purple eyes, her unblemished face... She was more stunning than the last time I saw her. Kyoko was staring intriguingly at Miaya, not sure what to make of her appearance here on the docks.

I chuckled. She's cute when she's suspecting. Hopefully she didn't see through Monaca's disguise...

As Makoto approached the robot, Monaca began typing quickly. She pressed enter, and Miaya's computer talked.

 _"Am I glad to see you two!"_

Not exactly what I would have said... I guess it wasn't _too_ bad, but we can't afford to mess anything up. Not with Kyoko's life on the line.

"Monaca, only have Miaya talk when I tell you what to say. We cannot risk anything."

Monaca looked at me angrily.

"But Monaca can do it!"

 _"Miaya Gekkogahara? What are you doing here?"_

Makoto's voice sounded through the radio display.

Monaca started typing instantly, but I couldn't let her respond on her own.

"Tell them that you received a summons from Tengan, and that you have to report to the Future Foundation's Headquarters as soon as possible."

"Monaca- Can- Do- It- Herself."

Monaca began another one of her temper tantrums, stopping her typing.

"Monaca, if you say something suspicious, our cover could be blown. And then our plan would fail."

"Don't you trust Monaca?"

Monaca's eyes were shaking a bit, and she was trembling as well.

Trust... It always came down to trust... Being perfect at everything, trusting anyone else never was easy. I was trying to control as much of the situation as I could... I felt the tension building up in my head...

Maybe I needed to step back and let Monaca handle things... Besides, _she_ built the robot. And _she_ was most recently in contact with Miaya Gekkogahara.

Time was running out. Kyoko and Makoto were expecting a response soon, Kyoko's eyes reflecting her impatience. So, I said the simplest answer to get Monaca typing again.

"Yes."

Monaca then calmed down and continued typing. I held my breath. I was nervous at what she would have Miaya say.

 _"Tengan summoned me, and I need to get to Headquarters as soon as possible! Are you two heading there as well?"_

I exhaled quickly. She took my advice...

 _"Oh, he summoned you too? He told us to head back after we got to Towa City. You should come with us!"_ Makoto said, in his typical happy-go-lucky voice.

 _"I hope everything's all right..."_ Kyoko said, as her head shifted to face the ocean. The sound of her voice soothed me, and I forgot about everything else.

I knew where she was looking. She was looking in the direction of Jabberwock Island. I lifted my head and stared into the dark red sky, staring at where Towa City would be. Trying vainly to meet Kyoko's eyes...

In the meantime, Monaca typed another response.

 _"I'm sure everything is fine!"_

 _"Yeah, let's not lose hope now. We should get to Headquarters as fast as we can."_ Makoto said, as he turned around and started walking back towards the ship.

Kyoko followed him, and after a couple seconds Monaca started moving Miaya in their direction as well.

She tilted the camera downwards, presumably to watch where she was going, but I soon realized what she was doing.

She focused the camera on Kyoko's rear, making sure to stay on target as she moved.

My face grew red again as I stared. Monaca then started zooming the camera in.

"Monaca, please..." I said, growing impatient.

Monaca giggled a bit, and then shifted her camera back to normal.

"Miaya will be sleeping on the boat. And Monaca will be, too." Monaca said

"Fine." I said. That shouldn't be a problem. Besides, Monaca does need her sleep too...

"Good night, Kamukura Senpai!"

"Good night." I nodded, and then turned the radio off.

 _I_ would need my sleep as well... Even though I've decided to trust Monaca, it still didn't hurt to observe her actions and help her whenever she needed it...

My stomach instinctively grumbled, and I turned towards my pile of chicken. It _was_ around dinnertime...

I used some of the sticks outside to build a small fire to cook one of the chickens. I ate it slowly, pondering today's events. And once I finished, there was nothing else to do, so I decided to sleep earlier than usual.

I laid down, closed my eyes, and began dreaming of Kyoko Kirigiri. After waiting countless days, she was right there... Right there on my display. If only I could reach through it and pull her out...

My mind tried hard to preserve the images I saw today, but it ended up exhausting itself and I eventually fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up the next morning, pretty early as expected. I sat up slowly, turning towards the radio next to me.

The radio was silent.

I watched the sun rise gradually over the horizon. The same reddish yellow as always.

I checked the radio again.

No signal. Hm...

I picked up the radio and called Monaca. Hopefully she'd pick up and let me see what's happening...

After a minute of static, the connection was lost.

I started to get angry, but then I remembered. I was trusting Monaca.

So, I took a deep breath and shrugged. I placed the radio inside my jacket, next to Kyoko's book, and started to walk outside. Looks like I'd be talking another leisurely stroll outside today, and catching any unfortunate chickens that dared cross my path...

I took a couple steps outside before I heard a sound coming from the mountain path. It was...

A Remnant?

I turned and looked down the path, and my suspicions were confirmed. Sonia Nevermind was walking, albeit slowly, up to the Neo World Program. She looked very tired; her feet were dragging in the dirt, and her arms were dangling down, almost limp. Her head was facing towards the ground, and it seemed like she didn't have the energy to lift it up.

She took some more steps, but then she collapsed to the ground, creating a small cloud of sandy dirt around her.

Well, I couldn't just _leave_ her there... That would blow my cover pretty quickly...

I ran over to her, picked her up, and ran back towards the room. Once we got there, I laid her down on the ground and started to feed her small bits of the chicken I had laying around until she could focus for more than a couple seconds.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes... Thank you..." Sonia gave me a weak smile. It was all she could muster, but it worked just as well as her regular one would.

A stern expression crossed my face as I turned away from her.

"You should not make the trek up this mountain if you don't think you can finish it."

"But... I needed to."

Sonia tried to sit up, but she fell back to the ground. I positioned her next to the wall, so something could support her back. I then sat next to her, just in case she fell down again.

"Why?" I asked

"Because... Nothing is working... Ever since you left, we have not been catching enough food, no matter how hard we try. We are always hungry. We have began to wonder how much longer we can survive like this. How much more we can endure before our friends are set free... Some of us are ready to give up, and some of us are losing our patience."

Sonia's eyes began wavering, and tears started to form. However, I showed no sign of emotion, and this was probably the reason that Sonia burst into tears. Her head laid to rest on my shoulder, shaking convulsively. Tears began trickling down my sleeve and dropping on my left hand.

"We need your help, Hajime. I cannot stand this any longer. I want Gundham back... I want my friends back... And I do not want to die..."

I cringed again at the mention of my former name, but I ignored it this time. I let Sonia have her moment. After a minute or so, she lifted her head and spoke again.

"When will the necessary parts arrive? I must know."

As much as I wanted to just lie again, and tell her they would be here soon, it felt wrong. There was something about Sonia's utmost sincerity that made me tell her the truth.

And maybe, if I tell the Remnants the truth, they will finally understand... They will finally understand my situation... And why I'm doing this...

"I never ordered any parts. I do not care about the Remnants."

There's only one thing I care about, and she's an ocean away. I quickly glanced at the radio in my pocket to ensure Monaca wasn't calling me.

Sonia was taken aback by my bluntness. With a few sniffles, she managed to regain her composure and speak.

"You do not wish to save them, and bring them back? They are our friends!"

"No. They're your friends." I barked, "The Remnants and I are vastly different. You all were in the same class, and I was not."

"That does not matter! We would treat you like one of us! We would make you belong."

Sonia choked a bit as she started crying again, but I understood what she was saying. I continued to tell her the truth.

"Really? You four have been treating me like one of _you_? I beg to differ... You all sent me up here because I was _not_ like you, correct?"

Sonia's eyes widened a bit, and she shrunk back. Maybe she didn't expect me to be this blunt, or maybe she didn't expect me to have heard that conversation. Either way, I needed to elaborate. Otherwise, she wouldn't understand, and our talk would be a waste of both of our times.

"Besides, as much as you could pretend that I fit in, something would still feel wrong. I would still feel like the odd one out... Because I _am_. I am not Hajime Hinata. I am Izuru Kamukura, the Ultimate Ultimate. I am different from everyone else in the world. And there is nothing anyone can do to change that. There is no reason for me to belong with you all."

Sonia calmed down a little, my monologue evoking sympathy. Her eyes displayed compassion, and yet a little sadness. She looked away for a second.

"So you are not on our side?"

"I am not on anyone's side. I just want to be left alone."

Sonia paused a bit before her response.

"So you lied to us so you could be alone... What have you been doing, all this time?"

"I have been setting up my future. My future in Ambivalence."

"Ambivalence?"

Something instantly clicked in my head. Maybe the way that I would deal with these Remnants, would be to convert them to Ambivalence. Hopefully, I could convert Sonia, and then she could spread my influence to the other Remnants. Maybe _then_ I can stand to be around them...

And it's what they deserve anyways. They deserve to be rid of Despair. I'm not saying I feel obligated to help... but being one of the only ones who can...

"Yes. Neither Hope nor Despair." I answered

Sonia displayed a look of contemplation, so I continued.

"Tell me, what is the thing that you want most in the world?"

Sonia closed her eyes and held her hand close to her heart.

"That Gundham... And the rest of my friends... Could be revived and brought back to life."

"You want that over anything else?"

"Absolutely. Knowing that they are stuck there, while we are out here... "

"Would you give up everything else, including Despair, in order to have your friends back?"

After a couple seconds, Sonia responded.

"Yes.", she nodded confidently.

I nodded. Exactly as I expected...

"I would consider doing that. Only focusing on what is important, and giving up on the rest."

"But what if I cannot help with what I am focusing on?"

Her eyes were yearning, staring at me.

"Then focus on surviving until someone else will." I answered. It _was_ the only thing to do, after all. Because she knew nothing about the Neo World Program.

"But when will that happen?" Sonia asked.

It all comes down to this, again... I did not want to work on that program... But seeing how much Sonia cared about them...

No. Not now. I had bigger things to worry about...

"I do not know. But you should be ready whenever it does."

I nodded at Sonia, who still felt like she was missing something from the conversation. I started to stand up and walk off, but I told Sonia one last thing.

"Please relay this to the other Remnants."

"Of course." Sonia nodded.

I walked to the corner of the room to check on the radio that I had underneath my shirt.

Still no communication...

I turned back around to monitor Sonia on her way out. She attempted to stand up, but she began shaking a bit. After a couple seconds, she managed to find her way onto her two feet, with her right hand using the wall as a guide. She took a couple steps out back onto the mountain path, and I stepped outside also to watch.

It was not long before Sonia started wobbling again, and she took another fall soon after.

I rolled my eyes... She could have at least asked for help...

I turned back to the room I was living in. I saw the chickens I had piled up in the corner of the room, and I smirked.

I guess I'm feeling particularly generous today...

I grabbed all the chicken, and Sonia, and started walking down the mountain. Once I got to the campsite, I ensured no one was there before entering. They all would be searching for food, anyways.

I laid Sonia down by the logs near the fire. After I started the fire, I began to cook the chickens I caught yesterday, continually checking my radio for any message from Monaca.

Still nothing. Monaca... Why aren't you calling me...

By the time I was finished, it was getting late. Grabbing some small twigs from the firewood pile, I proceeded to line them up in the sand in a particular pattern. Once I was finished, I took a step back, admiring my work. It read:

 _Do not bother me_

I nodded, and then walked back to the fire. Taking one of the cooked chickens with me, I made my first steps back up the mountain. Once I was halfway up, I turned back, watching the other three Remnants as they headed back to the campsite. Kazuichi was quick to shake Sonia to make sure she was still alive. Sonia regained her consciousness, and flinched at the sight of him. Once she realized where she was, and what I left for them, her eyes travelled upwards along the path. But I was too far away for her imperfect vision to see me. I turned around and continued walking. Once I got back to the Neo World Program, I stared at it for a while.

* * *

The radio started buzzing, and I hurriedly picked it up. It seems Monaca finally called me...

I saw Monaca at her usual desk, but something changed about the room since the last time I saw it. There were cases of Red Bear energy drink and various snack foods sitting in the back of the room. There were three empty containers of the drink on Monaca's computer desk already, with some empty bags tossed on the floor here and there.

"Kamukura Senpai!"

"Monaca, why haven't you called all day?"

"Monaca doesn't need your help, remember?"

I grumbled at her response, "But I have the right to know what is happening. It _is_ my plan, too."

"Hmpf..."

"How is the plan going?" I asked, nervous of the possibilities for failure.

Monaca turned on Miaya's camera. My eyes widened at the image.

The boat was approaching a tall, cylindrical building, floating on the ocean. A building that I have seen before many, many times...

The Headquarters of the Future Foundation

"We're here!" Monaca cheered


	8. Entrance

**I tried to skim over the parts of this chapter that were already mentioned in the anime (because the beginning is very similar). The rewrite of the Killing Game begins next chapter.**

I watched through Monaca's camera as Miaya, Makoto, and Kyoko were escorted off the boat, making their way towards the entrance of the Future Foundation. After two large folding doors opened, the three stepped inside.

The hallways were much longer than they were wide, being illuminated by a dull blue light. Metal encased the walls and the floor, much like the room that held the Neo World Program. Even over the sounds of Miaya's wheelchair, I could make out Kyoko's sharp heel clicks on the metal floor.

As we approached an intersection, a girl came running down the hallway and stopped when she looked in their direction.

Ah, yes. Aoi Asahina. Another student who survived Junko's Killing Game.

 _"Makoto! Kyoko! About time! I've been waiting for-everrr!"_

Aoi Asahina ran up to them, and they began talking. There was really no reason for Monaca to keep Miaya here, at this point.

"Monaca. Head to the meeting room. The less time we are around Kyoko, the less likely we are to be discovered."

Monaca began grumbling, her eyes squinting a bit. Nevertheless, she began typing and reaching for Miaya's controls.

 _"I'll let you three catch up. I'll go talk to Tengan to see what this summons is about."_

 _"Okay, Miaya. We won't be far behind."_ Makoto said.

The three of them continued talking as Miaya rolled down the hallway to the meeting room. It was very dimly lit, although it had the same blue shading that the hallway did.

The meeting room was just large enough to contain all the leaders of the Future Foundation. There was a long, rounded glass table in the center of the room, with many chairs surrounding it. Not many people were sitting, however. There were a couple groups scattered about the room. From my memory, most of the Future Foundation leaders were here. Monaca picked the optimal vantage point to see everyone, and parked her robot there. After another command, Miaya's head turned down and looked at the keyboard on her lap, and her fingers began typing random words. Surely a ploy to seem busy.

In one corner stood Ruruka Ando, Sonosuke Izayoi, and Seiko Kimura, Ruruka being the center of attention as expected. In another corner was Chisa Yukizome, Kyosuke Munakata, and Juzo Sakakura. Kyosuke's eyes flicked towards the entrance every so often. It seemed he was waiting impatiently for the arrival of someone, assuredly Makoto Naegi. Sitting down in front of Monaca's robot was Gozu and Daisaku Bandai, making small talk. And all the way at the front of the room, stood Koichi Kizakura and Kazuo Tengan.

I stared at Tengan's face; trying to read him. Koichi was doing most of the talking, laughing every once in awhile. Tengan's expression was mostly stoic, however he chuckled at Koichi's jokes to make it seem he was invested in the conversation.

I looked down at his feet. I could easily tell he was holding in the desire to rapidly tap one of them.

After a couple minutes, Makoto, Kyoko, and Aoi entered the room. As they did, everyone's eyes targeted them. Nevertheless, Makoto kept moving forward with the same expression on his face, unsure of what to come, yet being confident that he could deal with it.

Kyosuke took a couple steps forward, and then spoke.

 _"Makoto Naegi. You are being arrested for treason against the Future Foundation."_

Aoi's face grew pale, and she started to refute Kyosuke's point, and eventually Makoto joined in. However, their conversation was interrupted.

 _"Tengan, I made it!"_

Even though the camera was pointed elsewhere, I knew who that voice belonged to.

Ryota Mitarai. The Ultimate Animator. The one who Junko 'employed' to create her Despair video. And the one I was forced to protect in her hideout.

Another flashback triggered in my mind. Junko Enoshima standing there, in front of Ryota. Nagito Komaeda pointing a loaded gun at her, Chiaki Nanami at his side. That feeling I had... to protect Junko...

I pressed my hands against my head in an attempt to dull the feeling. After a couple seconds, it dissipated, and my attention was again back on the radio screen. Tengan was walking back to his computer, and he was executing some commands.

The Fifteen Remnants appeared on the computer screen as Kyosuke continued talking about Makoto's betrayal. However, I could tell this was a ploy as well, as the doors began closing behind Miaya.

"What's happening?" Monaca said

"The Killing Game will be starting soon." I mentioned bluntly

Not long after, we heard the hissing of a gas leak from the ceiling, and many heads turned up, including Miaya's. I saw a yellow-greenish substance floating down from the ceiling.

"Sleeping gas..."

"Sleeping gas?" Monaca repeated in confusion

I watched as the Future Foundation members, one by one, started to become dreary-eyed and unbalanced. They began slumping to the floor.

"Monaca, have Miaya pretend to fall asleep. Now."

"Monaca can do things herself!" Monaca rebutted.

I remembered that I did tell Monaca I trusted her, so I nodded in agreement. After a second, Miaya's head fell on her shoulder with a thump. The camera was skewed because of this.

My eyes darted around the radio screen, trying to decipher what would happen. Within five seconds, a figure stood up from behind the computer desk, with a mask around his face.

That had to be Tengan. What was he planning...

I wanted to tell Monaca to zoom in the camera, but I stopped myself. Moving the camera would make a sound, and it would give us away as being a robot. Miaya needed to stay as still as the others did.

"Why's Tengan awake?" Monaca inquired

"Because Tengan is the mastermind." I stated

"Monaca thinks that doesn't make any sense..."

"Tengan wants the Future Foundation pitted against each other to create so much Despair that Ryota would be forced to use his Hope Video."

"Hope Video?"

"Yes. A video that fills everyone who watches it with Hope, even against their will. Junko created her Despair Video by learning from Ryota."

"Oh ok... How does izuru know this?"

"Because I was the one who convinced him to do it."

A confused look appeared on Monaca's face, but I quickly brushed it off. We needed to be alert.

"We can talk about this later, Monaca."

She nodded, and continued watching the screen.

Tengan was making his way to each of the participants, and one by one, he was attaching a specific wristband to them. I couldn't tell what they were for, even as he approached Miaya.

His face was wrinkled and strained, yet his eyes were determined nonetheless...

I watched as he strapped a wristband onto Miaya's wrist, thankfully not picking up the fact that she was a robot. As it passed by the screen, I saw words running across the band, glowing a dull blue. However I couldn't make out what the wristband said, and we couldn't move the camera until Miaya was supposed to be awake.

After finishing this process with everyone, Tengan resumed his normal position and took off the mask, causing him to fall asleep as well.

"Monaca. Everyone's asleep. Take a look at that wristband."

Miaya's camera shifted down at her wrist.

The band said _'Turning Right'_

"Turning Right?" Monaca questioned

"Once everyone wakes up, I'm sure it will be explained." I responded.

Monaca nodded, and we continued to wait there. After a couple minutes, the sleeping gas was vented out of the room. Not too long afterwards, I noticed someone wake up in the distance.

Chisa Yukizome.

Hm... Why was _she_ the only one to wake up...

She stood up quietly, and she looked around to try to understand what was happening.

Then, a video screen turned on without warning. Chisa's eyes immediately darted upwards, as she was almost standing immediately underneath it.

A video screen... What could a video possibly do-

And then it hit me.

"Monaca! Turn Miaya's camera down! Do _not_ look at that screen!"

Monaca, startled, obeyed my instructions quickly.

"Why?" she asked

"That video will brainwash the viewer. It's how he'll get the Future Foundation to turn on each other."

Monaca gave me a skeptical look. However, that look became one of acceptance once she heard what was happening.

A clanging on the floor in the distance. It sounded like something metal.

Chisa's footsteps.

And then the sound of piercing skin. The sound of blood flowing, dripping slowly towards the ground.

The sound of death.

The video turned itself off, and then Monaca shifted the camera back up.

Chisa was hanging from the chandelier, her limp body swinging lifelessly.

"The suicide video..." I contemplated

Monaca gave me another look of confusion, so I explained.

"Another video Junko made that brainwashes anyone who watches it into committing suicide."

Monaca nodded yet again, and then we waited.

Almost an hour had passed before the participants began to wake up. Monaca tilted Miaya's head upright again as well. Everyone looked around, curious as to what was happening.

Then, Tengan's computer screen lit up unexpectedly, and the familiar laugh echoed through my brain once again.

 _"Upupupu..."_

Tengan gasped to cover his involvement. Anyone could tell the gasp was fake.

Some eyes in the room started looking upwards, and they widened when they reached Chisa's body. An air of uncertainty and Despair filled the room.

Monokuma then began explaining the rules of the Killing Game, explaining how everyone would be put to sleep at night, and then the traitor would be woken up to kill someone. They would all die if the traitor wasn't killed.

But we just watched Chisa kill herself... How intriguing...

Also, he explained that the wristbands contained NG Codes, which, if violated, would secrete poison into the participant's body, killing them.

So that's what these wristbands are for...

My eyes darted over to Kyoko. What was her NG Code?

What if we can't protect her from it?

The feeling of nervousness returned to my body.

"What is Kyoko's NG Code..." I said slowly, focusing my eyes on her, still as beautiful as ever amidst this crisis. She was standing firm, but when she read her NG Code, she seemed to shrink back and hide it.

Monaca, seemingly taking this as a command, started typing furiously.

"Monaca will have Miaya hack the Future Foundation! So we can find out everyone's NG Codes!"

My face grew pale, as I tried to stop her.

"Monaca, wait! I know the credentials to get in securely. You'll have to listen to me."

Before Monaca could register my comment, the Monokuma on the screen displayed some confusion, and ran off to the side.

"What's happening... Miaya's- Computer- Won't- Work!" Monaca cried.

This is bad... If Monokuma found out that Miaya was really a robot...

Why couldn't Monaca listen to me? Why did she have to do things herself?

After a couple seconds, Monokuma reappeared on the screen. I then asked the question I was afraid to know the answer to.

"Monaca... Can you still control Miaya?"

Monaca shifted the camera around. She could move Miaya's fingers, too. I exhaled slowly, regaining the color in my face.

"Monaca made sure Miaya's computer was disconnected from Miaya herself."

"Good. But you should not be so reckless."

"Yeah, Monaca knows..."

A dejected look appeared on her face.

"We can hack into the system tonight. When we have extra time."

Monaca's expression did not change despite my comment.

After finding out about Monokuma, the crowd began yelling and pointing fingers. The most commanding one was Kyosuke, targeting Makoto as per usual. Juzo joined in on this, and began walking towards Makoto menacingly. Ryota got in his way, arguing that everyone should stay calm. However, Juzo shoved him out of the way and continued walking.

A man started choking in the background. Daisaku Bandai, and everyone stopped moving. It seems his NG Code activated, as the right side of his face darkened. He fell to the floor, dying. In the confusion, Makoto and Aoi escaped the room, along with Gozu, who was defending them.

Monaca's face displayed panic for a second, but then commanded Miaya to follow them, as Juzo and Kyosuke started chasing after the four.

Hm... Kyoko was still in the room...

"Monaca, we're supposed to be protecting Kyoko. Not Makoto."

"Monaca knows. But if we keep the violent people busy, she'll be safe."

Fair point. Actually, it was better than staying in the room. We were less likely to be discovered.

I was too focused on Kyoko. Even though Monaca made imperfect decisions sometimes, it was refreshing to have another point of view.

Since Monaca was busy controlling Miaya, there really was nothing I could help her with. So I decided to cook some chicken in the meantime. I needed to eat while I could.

I began thinking about what was necessary for Kyoko to survive this. First off, she needed to survive during the day. Which involved ensuring all aggressors never targeted her, or protecting her when they did. Second, her NG Code must not trigger. But the most complicated part was to have her survive during the night. The first death was a suicide, which most likely meant that they all would be. However, there was no indication of who would be woken up to commit the suicide.

So the plan was to find out Kyoko's NG Code, and the method of choosing the killer. That would eliminate every unknown variable and make this game a cakewalk.

When I got back to the radio, Miaya was hiding in a room with Makoto, Aoi, and Gozu. It seemed like they were getting ready for the time limit to put them to sleep. Eventually, the wristbands kicked in, and everyone in the room stopped moving.

However, Tengan was not there to interrupt Miaya's movement, so Monaca reactivated the robot and started controlling it.

And now was the perfect time to hack the Future Foundation.

"Monaca. Stop moving, we need to hack the Future Foundation now."

"Monaca has all night to do that." she said, as she gulped down some more energy drink, eyes twitching. She continued typing furiously, jerking the camera around. Miaya began rolling over to Makoto and Aoi.

"We must not waste time, even if we have more than enough of it."

As I was saying that, the robot arms attached to Miaya stretched into view. One of them was holding a ketchup bottle and the other was holding a knife. But it looked like a toy knife.

Monaca giggled a bit, and then she commanded Miaya to squeeze the ketchup bottle directly above Aoi's chest. The ketchup slurped out of the bottle, splattering all over her stomach. Miaya then placed the knife right in the middle of the ketchup splatter. To untrained eyes, this looked exactly like a fatal wound. But anyone with any expertise in murder would know that this was merely a prank.

Monaca continued giggling, perhaps too much for such a prank, and then turned Miaya over to Makoto.

"Monaca. We do not have time for this."

Monaca displayed her classic pout, puffing her cheeks out. Her eyes looked away from the camera.

"Monaca's having fun, go away."

"You can have all the fun you want. But please, _after_ we're finished with our work." I said sternly.

With a large sigh, Monaca reluctantly agreed, "Ok..."

I began relaying to Monaca the procedure to hack the Future Foundation. After a couple minutes, Monaca had access to the entire system.

"This is great, Kamukura Senpai! Look, Monaca can see the whole building at the same time!"

Monaca shifted the screen to show a grid of sixteen cameras, each displaying a different room in the building. Everywhere I could see, the participants were sound asleep.

My eyes shifted around to locate Kyoko. It would be a _lot_ easier to watch her due to these cameras...

"Good. Now try hacking the Monokuma program."

Monaca started typing rapidly, but after a minute she spoke up.

"Password? Monaca doesn't have a password."

As expected of Tengan. He should not be underestimated...

He added new security features to protect the information behind the Killing Game. So, we couldn't access the information behind who would become the killer each night. And we could not access the NG Codes from the database that he surely has somewhere...

Well, the second problem was easily solvable. All we had to do was manually read each NG Code ourselves. And what better opportunity to do that than now?

"Monaca, go collect the participants' NG Codes while they're asleep."

"Ok!" Monaca said, as she started moving Miaya.

However, something interrupted her.

Gozu, who was laying down in the corner, blinked awake. I froze, and Monaca released the controls quickly, hand over her mouth.

Gozu hesitantly got up to his feet, and looked around. His eyes fixated on Aoi, and he seemed to reel back in surprise. He started moving his head back and forth, examining the room closer. After a second, his eyes landed on Miaya and would not budge.

I grew even more nervous. It seemed as if everything was going wrong... Why couldn't I be there to do everything myself?

 _"Miaya... You were next to me when we fell asleep... How did you move..."_

Monaca, too scared to control Miaya, kept the robot still.

 _"Does that mean... Does that mean that you're the-"_

The monitor directly above Gozu flashed to life, shining light throughout the room. Gozu, confused, turned around to look at it. He became mesmerized as well, just like Chisa was. And he did end up killing himself as expected, wrapping himself in wires and stabbing his heart out.

I began breathing normally again. If he had survived, or even woken anyone else up to tell them, we would have immediately lost. How many more times must Monaca put me through this...

"Is he dead?" Monaca said, breaking the silence.

"Yes. There should not be anyone else waking up until morning, so collect the NG codes. Now."

"Fine, fine." Monaca grumbled.

As Monaca moved Miaya's chair around and began writing down words, I started thinking about Gozu's death.

Chisa... And Gozu...

What were the similarities between their deaths... Why were they chosen...

My eyes darted between Chisa's corpse hanging in the meeting room, and Gozu's corpse hanging next to Makoto and Aoi. Thoughts and comparisons whirled in my mind as I tried to connect the two of them. They were not at all similar people. Their alliances most likely did not matter, as Chisa was a Remnant of Despair and Gozu was not. So why...

I began retracing the happenings surrounding their deaths, playing back the tapes in my head.

Chisa waking up... Looking around... Staring upwards at the Suicide Video... Then walking towards the table and-

Wait a second...

My eyes moved around the radio screen, locating each of the other participants.

Yes... It was not guaranteed, but it was a very good guess.

None of the other participants were as close to a monitor as Gozu was.

Chisa looked almost directly upwards at the monitor to trigger the suicide video. And so did Gozu.

"I know why Gozu was selected."

Monaca's head tilted in confusion.

"Because the closest participant to a monitor is woken up at night to commit suicide."

"Hm. So Monaca has to make sure Kyoko is not the closest to a monitor when she falls asleep."

I grinned, and then I sat back as Monaca moved around Miaya, continuing to collect NG Codes. Monaca's expression grew faded as she continued to do this.

"Izuru..."

"Hm?" I asked

"Monaca was just wondering... Why did Izuru tell Tengan to start another Killing Game? Isn't Izuru tired of Despair?"

I bluntly stated, "Because they're all in my way. I will stop at nothing to get what I want. Whoever is in my way must either move, or be killed. They are simply collateral damage."

"But why does it have to be this way? Why do they have to die?"

I sighed, "This way is the easiest and the fastest. It doesn't matter what happens to the rest of them. The Future Foundation _has_ to be destroyed. And Kyoko _has_ to survive."

"But Despair is wrong."

"The only way to combat such a high level of Hope is to create an equally high level of Despair, so they both effectively cancel each other out. I don't like it, but this is how it has to be."

"But... can't someone instead lower the level of Hope?"

A glazed look appeared across my face. "Please tell me how I'd go about doing that."

Monaca thought about it for a couple seconds, but did not say a word.

"Exactly. This is the only way."

Monaca reluctantly had to agree with me on this point. We sat in silence until she approached the last NG Code to record. Kyoko Kirigiri's.

I watched anxiously as she wrote the code down.

"What does it say?" I asked

"Passing the fourth time limit with Makoto Naegi alive." Monaca read, grimly.

I nodded in agreement. So in order for Kyoko to be the sole survivor of the Killing Game, the game would have to end before the fourth time limit, or Makoto Naegi would have to die before that.

I grinned. This did not hurt our plan at all. Kyoko's NG Code relied on the survival of another. So if Makoto was killed, this variable would be eliminated from the equation.

"Monaca. You'll have to make sure Makoto Naegi dies before this time limit. Even if you have to kill him yourself."

"But Monaca doesn't want to kill anyone."

"Monaca, remember what I told you. This is the only way."

Monaca's face grew dejected at my response, but she agreed. "Ok..."

We didn't speak another word that night. Monaca silently rolled Miaya back to the position she fell asleep in, and waited until sunrise. I decided to get some sleep, as nothing new would be gained from me staying awake.

This day did not go as expected, but the plan is working quite well. Kyoko should be rescued and by my side in no time at all.


	9. Tension

The next morning, I woke up to the sounds of the radio. Voices yelling, footsteps quickly tapping on the metal floor, Miaya's wheelchair whirring about. I grumbled and picked up the radio to take a look for myself.

The display, save Monaca's image in the corner, still consisted of the multiple cameras, spanning the whole building. I quickly located Miaya, rolling down a passageway. She was following Makoto, who was being carried by Aoi.

Right. Makoto's NG Code was running in the hallways. Quite inconvenient if everyone insists on chasing you. Kyosuke Munakata was trailing them at a fast pace, with unwavering determination.

Monaca was handling Kyosuke somewhat well. Kyosuke would target Makoto as long as they both were alive. Although we did want Makoto dead, it's more important to keep Kyosuke occupied. Besides, Monaca could always kill Makoto before it mattered.

A thought crossed my mind. Having Monaca kill everyone except Kyoko during the night. I heavily considered it, but in the end I dismissed the idea. Everyone dying at the same time would implicate one mastermind and not the entirety of the Future Foundation. We had to wait it out and let them destroy themselves.

My eyes then wandered to a more important person, the reason behind this whole mission.

Kyoko Kirigiri was with Ryota Mitarai and Kazuo Tengan. And, it seemed they were running away as well. A couple sharp taps on the floor, a look behind their backs, and then more running. I couldn't tell who was chasing them, but after a couple seconds his image appeared on screen.

Juzo Sakakura. Targeting Makoto's classmate, surely. He was holding an iron pipe that he ripped from some vent in the building. It wasn't the best weapon, but he needed it. He was in the same case as Makoto: Juzo was the Ultimate Boxer, however his NG Code prevents him from using his fists in combat. This was only a small detriment, but a detriment nonetheless.

I continued to watch them run, keeping my eyes on Kyoko. Physical activity wasn't Kyoko's forte, but she seemed to be doing well enough. Yet, Juzo started to catch up to them due to his practiced maneuverability. The group of three increased their pace, clearly over their limit. Within a few seconds, Kyoko tripped and fell, gripping her ankle. Ryota, startled, knelt down to help her.

My heart began pounding, unsure of Kyoko's fate. Juzo was approaching them quickly. Instinctively, I yelled.

"Monaca! Protect Kyoko!"

"But that'll reveal Monaca's disguise." Monaca countered.

Yes, she was correct. But that wasn't the point right now. We have one job on this mission.

"You think the disguise is more important? Kyoko's in danger!"

"Monaca thinks she'll be fine."

"Why?" I gave her a concerned and impatient look.

"Because there's an adult over there."

I sighed. I already knew that. I turned back to the display. Tengan was standing in front of the two students on the ground, waving his arm behind him to indicate they should escape while they could. It seemed he would stand up to Juzo himself. But why...

Ryota. That's why.

Tengan needed Ryota to live in order for his plan to succeed. So he had to protect Ryota with his life. So as long as Kyoko was with Ryota, Tengan would protect her.

As much as I wanted to apologize to Monaca, I couldn't bring myself to. And honestly, Miaya was probably the reason Kyosuke wasn't being that aggressive. Miaya was much more threatening than Makoto, who could only hope, and Aoi, who had a head so full of air that she never had a problem floating while swimming.

"Tengan wants to protect Ryota. If Ryota ever leaves Kyoko's side, get to her as quickly as possible."

Monaca nodded.

I watched closely as Tengan dealt with Juzo. He impressively managed to knock him out, which gave Kyoko and Ryota time to escape. Kyoko was limping a bit now. Hopefully this didn't jeopardize our plan...

Tengan watched the two of them escape, and then started walking off in a different direction. He still had a determined look on his face, even though he was abandoning Ryota. Hm...

I carefully observed Tengan's movement while Monaca focused on ensuring Kyosuke never got to Makoto. He seemed to know exactly where he was going...

Once I realized it, my heart sunk.

He was heading towards Miaya. It _had_ to be Miaya. He didn't care about any of the other people in the area.

Did he know about the disguise?

No... I don't think so... Miaya hasn't shown any special robot capabilities yet...

So why...

The thought popped into my head quickly, and anger washed over me. I squeezed my fists and silently cursed at myself for not avoiding this.

It must have been when Monaca hacked into the Future Foundation. He must have realized what she did.

The stress started building up as I told Monaca about it.

"Monaca, Tengan is coming to presumably talk to you. About hacking the system."

"Hm?" Monaca asked in her childlike voice.

"You didn't use the security information I could have told you, and this is the consequence."

"Monaca knows, that was a mistake! Don't talk about that..."

Despite her comment, I continued.

"Do _not_ let Tengan get under your skin. Make sure he doesn't realize your true purpose."

"Monaca will try her best!"

"Monaca's best isn't good enough. We need perfection."

"But-"

"Perfection. You've already messed up plenty of times. We might not have many more chances."

"Why are you blaming everything on Monaca..."

Monaca started whimpering, and I noticed tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Working with Monaca was two sides of the same coin. She had ideas that I didn't, because I was too focused on protecting Kyoko. But then again, she was incompetent at times.

I could be working with worse people, surely. But I couldn't be working with anyone better. My situation forced me into this partnership, not being able to do everything myself...

So I might as well take what I was dealt, considering there were no better options.

Which meant I shouldn't be yelling at Monaca about her mistakes. There was no benefit to that at all.

"Monaca... Just try your best... There's nothing more I can legitimately ask for."

 _"Miaya! One moment, please!"_

Tengan was running towards Miaya, breathing heavily from his extended workout. Once Miaya reached the next room, Monaca turned her around and stopped, leaving Makoto and Aoi by themselves moving forward. Kyosuke ran past Miaya, once he realized she wouldn't attack him.

 _"Headmaster Tengan! What is it?"_

 _"Miaya. Good job earlier, trying to hack into the Monokuma Program. It's disappointing that it didn't work..."_

My eyes squinted at Tengan's fake character. I wondered how Monaca would deal with him.

 _"Thank you, headmaster. It was the least I could do. Unfortunately, my best wasn't good enough..."_

I cringed a bit at that statement. It was definitely meant for me. To mock my pursuit of perfection which transcends most human relationships.

Being perfect is a blessing, but a curse as well. Everything I could ever want, I could get with my abilities. I forget how I lived _without_ these abilities. I remember school projects... When we worked in teams... Those days were long gone. Now, I could do everything myself.

But not having to rely on anyone else lends itself to not _wanting_ to rely on anyone else. There never was a reason to talk to anyone, to work with anyone, to form a relationship with anyone, because perfection requires nothing more. And this led me to be alone. And even when I'm not alone, it ends the same way nonetheless. Everyone I've talked to, my perfection has destroyed relationships. With Junko, with Kyoko, with the Remnants, and now it's happening with Monaca...

If I could do it again, I'd still choose to go through with the experiment. Because it allowed me to meet her. Kyoko Kirigiri...

I started to imagine her beauty in front of me... Standing there, once all of this was over... What would happen after that? Would my perfection ruin this relationship again?

Tengan dissolved my thoughts with his words.

 _"I cannot ask for more. All I can ask from you is to keep trying. And to never give up Hope."_

Miaya didn't respond after that, so Tengan continued.

 _"And that's what you did. You didn't give up, and you hacked the system during the night. I applaud your determination."_

I condescendingly stared into the radio screen. So _this_ was where he was going...

 _"Your praise is misled. I could not possibly do such a thing. It was the work of another."_

Technically, she's correct. _I_ told her the directions to hack the system... Who knew Monaca could be so passive-aggressive?

 _"Oh, I am certain it was you. The Monokuma Program planted a tracker in your computer. So it would know if that computer tried to connect again..."_

Tengan lifted his head, the glare causing his glasses to shine white.

 _"So no matter how hard I tried, I would have been figured out... But wait! Tengan, why do you know about how the Monokuma Program works?"_

Tengan displayed a sinister grin. The one of a villain revealing his master plan. He started to aggressively whisper towards Miaya.

 _"Don't play dumb. I know what you're up to. Hacking into the system at night and being alive in the morning leaves only one possibility: that the wristband had no effect on you. Which means you're a robot, Miaya."_

Monaca gasped, not expecting to be revealed this early. However, I was fully prepared. We deserved this for not covering our tracks better.

She looked at me, as if expecting me to take the blame for this, as it was my idea to hack the system during the night. I didn't change my expression at all.

 _"Furthermore, you seemed to only be interested in camera data. Which makes sense... Especially for someone who cannot rely on one simple mounted camera... For someone who required a perfect view..."_

My heart began sinking at what Tengan would say next...

 _"Headmaster Tengan, what are you implying?"_

 _"I know who you are, Izuru Kamukura. Your plan to infiltrate this Despair game has been discovered. And it will_ not _work. You won't ruin this Hope for the rest of us."_

Hm. Headmaster Tengan, there's so much you still don't know...

 _"But Tengan, I'm not Izuru Kamukura!"_

Tengan scowled at her response.

 _"Save us both the breath and stop lying. I'd bet my life that you're him."_

Well, if you like losing bets, then go for it. I smirked at his relative simplemindedness.

 _"Your plan ends here. I'll destroy your robot, and the Future Foundation forces will be sent to destroy you."_

Future Foundation forces?

Now that I have been discovered as wirelessly messing with the Killing Game, it seems that Tengan would use his forces for offense instead of defense. And they're probably on their way to Jabberwock now...

I grunted. This was all Monaca's fault...

Tengan ripped a pipe from the wall and began walking towards Miaya. I was breathing heavily, not knowing what would come next.

"Monaca, don't be afraid to use your weapons."

"But it's not time yet."

I sighed, but I've agreed to give her full control of the robot.

"Just make sure Tengan doesn't disable Miaya."

Monaca nodded. She rolled Miaya back, stalling for time. Tengan was blocking the doorway, so she really had nowhere to go. Tengan slowly crept up to Miaya, making sure to account for any escape possibilities. He raised the pipe in his hand, getting ready to strike.

Fear washed over Monaca's face, and just as he was about to attack, her hand flew down above a big red button on her control panel.

 _CHINK_

A pipe flew from the center of the room, and hit the wall directly next to Tengan's head. Startled, he turned around to look at the attacker.

Kyosuke Munakata.

 _"Despair... There is no way you will get away..."_

 _"Destroying Despair is no easy task. You know as well as I do what needs to get done."_

Kyosuke pulled out a sword, most likely hidden for this occasion.

 _"Yes. I must individually kill each and every remnant... Until none remain."_

Tengan started walking towards Munakata, readying his pipe for a counterattack. This left Miaya the perfect opportunity to escape. I let out a deep breath, and looked over to Monaca to see what she would do.

Monaca was still in shock from all this. Her hand was less than an inch above the red button, frozen there. After a couple seconds, she realized what she should be doing, and she wheeled Miaya as far away from the fight as possible.

We got lucky. It could have been my Ultimate Luck... Although I do not like to rely on it. Anyone can rely on luck. In fact, most people _do_ rely on luck. I had the abilities necessary to rely on myself.

But, a little bit of luck never hurt anyone...

"See, Kamukura Senpai? It wasn't time to fight yet. Monaca was right!"

I looked away, ignoring Monaca's jest.

"It's almost nighttime. We should make the appropriate preparations."

It was just about time for the sleeping drug to kick in, so everyone was naturally getting in position.

"Monaca'll get right on it!"

She began scanning the computer screens, head jarring left to right, pigtails bobbing in the air.

"Monaca needs to make sure Kyoko won't die..."

After a couple seconds, Monaca bounced in her chair slightly and stated the good news.

"Seiko Kimura is closest to a monitor. So she'll be the one to wake up."

I nodded, satisfied. I let out a small grin.

"Good. Now-"

Wait. What was that?

I heard rustling leaves, crackling fire, and angry voices coming from the mountain path. That combination could only mean one thing...

The Remnants.

What do they want _now_? I'm busy...

"Monaca, I'll call you back."

I promptly ended the radio connection and slid the radio across the room so they wouldn't notice it. Then, I left the room and stood outside, waiting for them.

The sun was almost finished setting. The sky grew gradually darker, although still maintaining its reddish hue. Yet, there was enough light for even the Remnants with their imperfect vision to see.

Fuyuhiko, as expected, was leading the crew, knife and torch ready. He didn't look happy. But then again, he never really looked happy.

The other Remnants were following him, mirroring his resentment. Except for Sonia, who was trailing behind them by a sizeable margin. It seems she was desperately trying to catch up to them...

"Please, everyone, listen to me. He did nothing wrong!"

Sonia continually pleaded with the other Remnants from behind, yet they continued their pace.

Pretty soon, Fuyuhiko reached the Neo World Program, standing a few feet in front of me. His eyes were burning almost as much as the torch he was holding was...

"' _Do not bother me'_ my ass! Whaddaya think you're doing, bastard?"

I didn't respond, hoping with all the fire in his spirit, he'd eventually run out of gas.

"We gave you one job. _One job._ And ya can't even fuckin' do that?"

I stood up straight and tightened my gaze, speaking sternly. To show the superiority that I had over him and the rest of them.

"Why should I have to listen to you? I take orders from no one."

"Hey! We're all on the same side here! Last time I checked, you were a Remnant _too_. So get that shit out of your head that you don't have to help us!"

He had no right to be saying what he has been. He's just a simple Remnant. Whereas I am the Ultimate Ultimate. Perhaps I should put him in his place...

I released any restraints I had on my vocabulary, and my voice sharpened into a bark very quickly.

"Don't compare me to you imbeciles. I am _not_ one of you. I am capable of much more than all of you _combined_. Reviving the other Remnants would be extraordinarily simple. But I have the right to choose what I do with my life. So, I chose not to. And no one can stop me."

"Excuse me! Do you know who you're talking to? I'm the Ultimate Yakuza! Don't fuckin' mess with me!"

I sighed. After a brief silence, Fuyuhiko yelled again. His eyes were swirling with rage now, a mixture of dark and light red, leading him further and further into Despair.

" _Why_ don't you want to save them? What's so important that you can't take a damn hour of your precious time to save our friends?"

Well, I _did_ have something important to focus on. But there's no way I'm telling them that.

"My availability is not important. The reason I'm not saving them is simply because they're not worth it."

"They're not worth it? That's it? They're not fuckin' _worth it_?"

"Yes. They're not worthy of my time."

I scowled a bit at Fuyuhiko, just as Akane and Kazuichi were catching up.

"And neither are you."

"That's it, bastard! I'll beat the shit out of you and then I'll force you to fuckin' save 'em!"

Fuyuhiko readied his knife, and then ran up to me. Unfazed, I didn't move. I knew what he was doing.

He attempted a thrust at my chest with his knife. I began to lean backwards slightly, to make it look like I was trying to dodge his knife. And, as expected, he pulled back his knife attack and started swinging his torch at my right side.

I grabbed the torch with my right hand, stopping him mid-strike. Somewhat close to the flame, but it didn't matter. I could take the heat. Fuyuhiko grunted, and tried to pull the torch away from me. However, his strength was no match for mine, and after a second of struggling, he resorted to using his knife. He brought his knife across his body and jabbed it at my wrist.

Hmpf. Such an easily dodgeable attack...

I swiftly raised my arm before the knife hit, causing him to miss his attack. Because Fuyuhiko's hand was holding the bottom of the torch, his grip weakened and eventually released as I lifted it further.

Not caring about the torch at all, Fuyuhiko counterattacked with his knife, swinging it back at me in an attempt to slice open the side of my stomach. His most competent attack, by far. But by no means potent.

I swung the wood of the torch down on his right shoulder swiftly. The shock from the blow caused him to stumble a bit, barely grazing me with the knife. I took this opportunity to lift my leg and send a kick straight at his stomach. He flew a couple feet backwards before he fell to the floor rolling.

As I stood there, I felt a chill wind blowing behind my back and through my long, black hair. The flame on the torch I was holding danced back and forth, almost wanting to die. I swept my arm across my body and tossed the torch aside, fire quenching in the wind.

Fuyuhiko, covered in bruises, took a couple seconds to get up onto his knees. He was already breathing heavily, and looked at me with wide eyes.

At that point, Fuyuhiko turned to Akane and Kazuichi, who were also paralyzed in shock.

"What're ya doin just standing there? Fuckin' help me beat him! That bastard betrayed us!"

Akane managed to softly speak a couple words. A look of disbelief and sadness appeared over her face.

"But... Hajime's our friend..."

I grimaced at that name. I was about to speak up, when Fuyuhiko interrupted me.

"Seriously? He's our _friend_? Our _real_ friends are trapped inside that computer! You'd take _him_ over _them_?"

"You're sayin' we gotta choose?" Akane questioned.

"Damn right! Do ya want your friends back or not?"

"Nekomaru..." Akane whispered, a hint of longing in her voice.

Kazuichi, still pensive, spoke up.

"But Miss Sonia said-"

"I don't fuckin' care what Miss Sonia said! He's the only thing standing between _us_ and our _friends_. He's our enemy!"

"Yeah... He betrayed us..." Akane chanted. "He doesn't want Coach Nekomaru comin' back..."

"I can't forgive you for that!" Akane yelled. She unleashed all of her energy into those words. Her hungry gaze then turned straight to me, eyes swirling as if she was in a trance.

"I'm not asking you to forgive me. I'm asking you to leave me alone." I said forcefully.

"I've had to endure all this suffering for days now... Because of you..." Akane breathed heavily, maintaining her irate face.

"Now it's time for me to return the favor." Akane yelled, running up to me. She seemed more heated than usual.

Maybe it'd actually be a challenge.

She launched fist after fist at me, hoping that one would somehow break through. I used my arms to block them, dodging a few here or there. However, she was attacking so rapidly that I didn't have a chance to counterattack. I'd just have to wait until she tired herself out.

The onslaught continued for minutes. Fist after fist, block after block. My arms were getting somewhat heavy. But I knew she could take less pain than I could, so this was still a winning battle. Yet, looking at her face made me think otherwise. Eyes wide and red, scowling continuously. Her anger was fueling her attacks, granting her more power and mobility than usual. It made me question how long I could keep this up.

Akane was much more dangerous when she was mad. I'll give her that. But she could never win against me.

Fuyuhiko, after realizing that Akane was basically getting nowhere, pulled himself up slowly and starting positioning himself a couple feet away from me. His knife was slightly bent, but it would work just as well.

I smirked. This was the chance I was waiting for.

While still getting pelted with punches, Fuyuhiko started running towards my side, knife in front. When he was a foot away, I blocked Akane's next punch with an unusual amount of force, and I jumped back, pushing off her strength to give me backwards momentum.

Fuyuhiko, whose target was no longer where he expected, took a dive headfirst. He crashed to the ground, on top of Akane's legs, causing her to topple over too.

Akane grunted, "Hey! What was that for!"

"I was trying to help, you idiot!"

Akane brought herself up quickly, and brushed off her clothes. She jumped over Fuyuhiko and began running at me again. This time, I knew what was coming.

I dodged her first attack, leaving her off balance. I jammed my elbow into her back, eliciting a loud grunt and an even louder crash as she fell and hit the ground hard.

I then turned towards the other attacker, and he was again running at me with the knife.

I sighed. Hmpf. Would he ever learn?

I released a swift karate chop to the area where his arm and wrist connected. Strong enough to cause his grip to weaken, as the knife fell right out of his hands. Before he crashed into me, I sent a punch straight to his nose, using his momentum as a weapon. He was shoved backwards and fell, blood dripping down his face.

It was the least I could do to get them to stop fighting me. He's lucky I didn't punch his eye out...

Akane tried to get up, but I put my foot on her back with enough force that she couldn't budge.

Kazuichi stared in utter silence. Considering how he was a terrible fighter, it made sense that he wouldn't want to join in. Well, that and the fact that he didn't want to disappoint Sonia...

Speaking of Sonia, she finally reached the scene, gasping at what I had done. She almost fainted, but she regained her composure and spoke up.

"Haji- Um, Izuru... I am sorry. They would not listen to me."

"Do not be sorry. They decided to interfere with someone who did not want to be bothered. And they paid the price."

Sonia nodded, "We will not bother you any more."

"Good." I began walking back into the computer room, reaching for the door. It was almost nighttime; I'd need to get some sleep.

"Are you sure you do not wish to help them?" Sonia impromptly asked.

I didn't bother looking back, "I'll help them when I feel like it."

I slammed the door shut, leaving the four Remnants outside in silence.

And then there was peace. An uneasy peace, but peace nonetheless.

I picked up the radio I left in the room. Monaca was sleeping, an alarm clock sitting next to her. It seems everyone in the Killing Game was asleep as well.

What perfect timing...

I laid down on the ground, holding the radio close, and closed my eyes...

* * *

"Kamukura Senpai!"

"Kam- U- Ku- Ra- Sen- Pai!"

My eyes opened at the jarring sound of Monaca yelling. She was desperately trying to get my attention, and because of that, I grew a bit nervous once I realized what was happening.

"Monaca, what is it?"

"We've got a problem..."


	10. Action

"What is it?" I demanded to Monaca, growing increasingly impatient.

"Well... You know how Monaca's been hanging out with Makoto..."

"Get on with it." I stated, looking at the radio to get a better idea of what she was talking about.

I saw Miaya's wheelchair plugged into the wall in the control room... and Makoto and Aoi watching eagerly...

"They've forced Monaca to send a help request to Byakuya Togami!"

Right. That's the only room where the connection to the outside world wasn't broken...

"Monaca, they didn't _force_ you to do anything. You could have broken your disguise and killed them. Makoto has to die anyways, remember?"

"But Monaca doesn't want to kill anyone..."

Monaca just sat there, looking at me with trembling eyes. I didn't want to kill anyone, either. But if it'd further my plan, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I wouldn't have any remorse for such pathetic humans, only possessing at most one category of perfection. If _I_ was in Monaca's position, things would be different. I'd have rescued Kyoko by now, and everyone else in that dreary building would be long dead. But she continuously insists on _not_ engaging in conflict of any kind... Such a suboptimal strategy shouldn't be rewarded by getting this far... Although I'm not one to complain...

I know I've been trusting her... But this is too far. Connecting to the outside world would _surely_ reveal her disguise, just as attacking Makoto and Aoi would. One option was clearly better for our plan... And the other put Monaca herself in danger. To not see this was ignorant.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. I could sense some anger in my voice.

"Monaca. Our plan is to save Kyoko. Nothing else matters. These people have to die."

I instinctively turned to Kyoko on the radio. She was with Ryota and Koichi, and they were busy inspecting the dead bodies. That'd keep them occupied for some time... Hopefully no one would attack them...

It's sad that all I can do is Hope now. And it's not like I wanted to do that in the first place. Hope is for people who needed to rely on something other than themselves.

Monaca began to speak again, so my eyes wandered back to her screen. On the way there, I saw the dead body of Kazuo Tengan, having been killed presumably by Kyosuke Munakata. It looks like he got what he deserved.

"Why do they have to die?"

Tears started forming in the edges of Monaca's eyes, clearly upset by my words.

But we went over this before. Nothing has changed.

"I already told you this. It's the only way for us to live in peace. They'll come after us otherwise." I growled.

"Monaca's sure there's another way!"

" _Well, you're wrong. What do_ you _know?_ " I barked.

"But-"

" _NO, YOU'RE WRONG!"_ I yelled

Monaca's eyes widened at my angered words. Her eyes shook for a second, and then she dropped her head on her arms and began crying.

There's something about tears that cause humans to evoke sympathy. But I'm not a normal human, so they didn't work on me. I watched Monaca sit there, not knowing what to do, as she cried her eyes out.

I turned towards the radio and watched Makoto and Aoi talk to Byakuya Togami, who was in Towa City. He'd surely discover Monaca's presence, and send attack forces her way. And then she wouldn't be able to control Miaya...

I used to think Monaca was the only person I could trust. Now, she's just the same as the rest of them - incompetent, blind fools. Fools who can't follow even simple directions...

It looks like I'd need to take matters into my own hands. Because there's _clearly_ no one else on this planet who can do what I ask them to...

But before that, there was something else I needed to focus on.

As much as she caused problems, Monaca _still_ helped me. And we had a deal. So it's only fair that I uphold my end of the bargain. She may not be useful to me anymore, but I couldn't just let her get captured...

I turned to Monaca, who was almost done crying. My anger dissipated as I began to focus.

"So you'll need to escape..."

"Huh?" Monaca looked up at me, surprised at my change in temperament.

"I promised that you'd live in Ambivalence with me. And I'm not abandoning you now, even if I have to do the rest myself."

Monaca stared at me, growing more attentive.

"They'll come for you. They won't leave you alive this time. You _need_ to escape..."

Monaca nodded, "Ok."

"But simply disappearing would cause confusion... We have to make sure that they won't chase you ever again."

"But how would we do that?"

Hm... Good question... As long as they knew Monaca was alive, they would search for her...

Monaca struck a thinking pose, but after a few seconds her eyes lit up.

"Wait! Monaca knows!"

"Hm?" I asked, eyebrows raising

"What if Monaca just gave up?"

I shook my head.

"That won't work. They'll kill you if you give up."

"Monaca knows two people who wouldn't do that."

Hm... Right. The two people who left her alive before. Komaru and Toko.

I nodded my head in understanding.

"Komaru and Toko wouldn't kill you, yes. But they surely would capture you."

"But what if Monaca gave up, and then ran away?"

Hm... Leave it to Monaca to give unconventional ideas... But this was her fault to begin with, and we're running out of time...

"You think they'd believe you, and not chase you?"

Monaca contemplated my last question, but I answered it myself.

"Either way, we don't have time to come up with something better. Prepare for your escape."

Monaca nodded, and then tilted her head.

"Where would Monaca be going?"

It has to be here. There's nowhere else to go, because we didn't adequately prepare for that. And it's not like I was in any position to leave this island...

"Jabberwock Island. The Future Foundation is the only organization who would dare interfere there, and once _I_ get rid of them, nobody should bother us."

Well, the Remnants would. But I'm certain they'll eventually turn to Ambivalence. And _that_ would take less time the more allies we have on the island...

"So Monaca'll be flying to-"

I interrupted her. There was something I forgot to mention.

"You can't fly directly to Jabberwock Island. That's easily traceable, just in case they do decide to pursue you. So before you land there, you'll have to fly somewhere e-"

"Like space!"

Hm? The more I considered her rash idea, the more it sounded sane. Even the Future Foundation wouldn't chase her in space...

Incompetence breeds creativity, I guess.

"Yes. Like space. Now go and make preparations. They won't give you much time. I need to focus on infiltrating the Future Foundation myself."

"Ok, Kamukura Senpai!"

Monaca rushed out of the room, and a couple seconds later my radio screen shifted to gray static.

I finally noticed that my hands were hurting from how hard I was holding the radio; a result of the stress Monaca induced on me. I eased my grip on the radio, hands shaking at the change in tension.

I took a second to catch my breath and grasp the situation. And then I reeled my right hand back and, with incredible force, threw the radio at the door sealing me off from the rest of the island. The sound of static faded out and eventually replaced itself with the loud crash of metal against metal. I yelled in anger.

 _"ARRRRRRRGH!"_

 _Why_ does everyone have to be so incompetent? I had _simple_ instructions. _SIMPLE_ instructions. And apparently _no one_ can follow them. This plan would have been going perfectly, if Monaca did exactly as I said. Now _she's_ under attack and _I_ have to find some way to get to the Future Foundation's Headquarters, from an island that was explicitly chosen because of the limited escape options. _How_ am I supposed to finish my plan now?

The handle of the door cleanly broke off from the force of the radio, launching itself a few feet from the door. The radio would surely be broken; it's not like I would need it anymore after this. The door slowly opened from the absence of anything to hold it in place, washing the dull sunlight over me.

My breathing eventually returned to normal, and I began staring into the distance, over the ocean. Even though the chances were slim, Izuru Kamukura never gave up. I started contemplating how I could reach a location so far away...

Soon after, the horizon was disrupted by dark objects. I strained my eyes to see them better. Fortunately, they were approaching this island, so after a few seconds the objects became clear.

They looked like... the Future Foundation's ships. Like the one Kyoko was riding on. And there was a whole fleet of them, heading towards Jabberwock.

A slight grin appeared on my face. This is what Tengan meant when he said he'd eliminate me.

Tengan, you sly dog. You thought you had the upper hand, but the tables have turned. You don't know how much you just helped me.

I couldn't quite get into the Foundation's headquarters with that many guards, but if they're all here, and I manage to steal a lifeboat and escape... Then it'll be smooth sailing.

I took a couple steps outside. The Remnants were gone from last night, Fuyuhiko and Akane leaving small trails of blood down the mountain. The only other byproduct of our fight was Fuyuhiko's knife on the ground. There's no way Fuyuhiko would forget that; he must have been carried down by Sonia or Kazuichi.

I approached the knife and picked it up. I then shrugged and put it in my pocket. Knives are pretty useful tools.

I watched as the boats grew closer. They'd be here within the hour...

* * *

Sonia was the first of the Remnants to wake, apparently concerned from last night's events.

She slowly stepped out of her hut, and once she saw the flotilla of ships that was approaching the island, she screamed.

"Oh my!"

She stood there, paralyzed, not knowing what to do.

"What's with all the yellin'? I'm tryin'a sleep here!"

Akane stumbled out of bed, still bruised from last night. She clearly avoided moving her back, her hand supporting her lower back as she walked. Her eyes widened as she saw what loomed over the horizon.

"Wh-what? Why are those ships comin' here?"

"They are most likely Future Foundation ships. Which means they have come for us."

"How're we gonna take on that many ships? We're gonna die!"

"I do not know."

Fuyuhiko and Kazuichi woke up due to the squabbling, and they too were surprised at the sight of the ships.

"Oh, _now_ those bastards decide to show up! They'll be sorry they did!"

"Hey, hey! There're too many of them, there's no way we'd win!" Kazuichi retorted.

After a couple seconds, I revealed myself. I walked into the clearing from the forest, the sound of my footsteps being immediately detected by the Remnants. Their conversation stopped, and they remained silent as they watched me walk past them and directly towards the ocean.

"Wait!" Sonia yelled, and started running towards me. I opened my hand and threw it to the side, signaling her to stop.

"Don't move." I said, and once her footsteps stopped, I continued.

"This is my responsibility. You need not concern yourselves with this."

"Izuru..." Sonia pleaded

"They only want me."

"But-"

"I'll be back." I said, as I began walking again. My feet slipped quickly through the sand, growing closer to the coastline. The ships were just arriving; the crews would soon drop their anchors and glue their wary eyes to me.

As my eyes passed by their sheer numbers, one thing stood out in particular. On every ship, there was a small lifeboat hanging on the side; complete with propeller and oars. I smirked. Why did they have to make it so easy?

I reached the dock, and took one step on the wooden platform. My feet made a soft tap; one I haven't heard in some time. I watched as the ship closest to me slowed to a stop, plunging its anchor into the ocean. The crew pushed down the bridge, slamming it against the dock.

I stood there, motionless, hair swaying slightly in the breeze. One by one, the rest of the flotilla parked, and my eardrums became flooded with the crash of wave against metal. I could sense the tension and uneasiness in the air.

Footsteps came from the bridge, as three men were approaching me. One seemed like the flotilla captain, and the other two were most likely bodyguards. They seemed very practiced, but their nervousness showed.

The men stopped about four feet from me. My eyes didn't waver from the captain's, as he was poised to say something. The entire area fell silent in anticipation.

After a few seconds, he spoke.

"Izuru Kamu-"

I cut him off with a swift lunging punch straight for his face. He couldn't register my action in time, as expected, and my fist smashed against his nose, sending him backwards. His guards, which finally realized the threat, attempted to ready their weapons, but they were too slow as well. I shoved my palms against the sides of their faces and pushed, causing them to lose their balance and fall straight into the ocean.

The rest of the crews noticed this, and started firing rapidly at me by whatever means possible. I heard a cannon firing from my left, and I instinctively ducked. The cannonball flew over my head and directly into the docked ship, crashing against and breaking through the metal, conveniently opening a shielded passageway for me. Dodging the remaining pitiful gunfire, I jumped inside the ship and started running towards the lifeboat on the other side.

The entire crew of the ship began rushing to the lower deck in a panic. The first few seconds were unimpeded, but as I moved deeper into the ship, the crew started catching up to me. The first one to reach me started to fire his gun rapidly, spraying the area in a vain attempt to hit me. I ducked under his fire and lunged at him, knocking him backwards. We slammed to the ground against the cold metal, making a loud enough sound for the rest of the crew to notice. I quickly stripped him of his gun and continued on.

As I wandered through the hallways, getting closer to the back end of the ship, I encountered a couple other crew members, who I easily picked off with my gun. Blood gushed from their wounds as they fell to the floor, screaming, flailing their arms at me. However, I ignored them and kept my determined composure, walking swiftly towards my destination.

I opened a door near the rear side of the ship, leading me to a supply room. There laid containers of fuel, fresh water, food, and other supplies necessary for the trip to Jabberwock. The island wasn't too far off from the Future Foundation's Headquarters, but it was always best to be safe than sorry.

But this time, they'll be pretty sorry. I walked over to the window on the far side of the room and thrust the gun barrel into the glass, breaking it. I peeked my head out and looked around.

Exactly as I expected. The lifeboat was directly under this window. I couldn't fit through it, but that wasn't a problem at all.

I brought my head back in and took a step back, but my motion was interrupted by a gunshot from the room entrance. I swiftly turned around and saw a crewman standing there, shaking, with many more catching up behind him. His shaky aim caused him to miss his next two shots, so I launched a kick at his stomach. My foot slammed into him, causing him to gasp for air. He was also shoved backwards a good ten feet, barreling down all the crewmen who were running towards the storeroom. They fell like dominos, and struggled to stand up again. Eventually, they all would, but I'd be long gone by that time.

I turned back around to the window, and started spraying bullets around it in a circle. The sound of gunfire and metal against metal filled the room, and pretty soon the wall around the window was loose. The gun seemed to be out of bullets at that point, so I tossed it aside.

I kicked the piece of wall out, causing it to plummet into the ocean with a splash. I quickly grabbed some of the supplies in the room, and turned my head over my shoulder.

Some of the crewmen were up and running towards the entrance. I smirked at them, and jumped off the ship onto the lifeboat. The extra weight caused the boat to lower itself, and before it hit the ocean, I cut the rope that was suspending it with Fuyuhiko's knife. The boat made a splash, and it shook a bit before steadying itself.

At this point, the other ships noticed me, and re-readied their guns. I hurriedly turned around and revved the propeller engine on the lifeboat's rear. The engine came to life with a satisfying roar, and water started churning behind me. Suddenly the boat started moving forwards at a relatively fast pace, and my hair began blowing about in the wind. The crewmen shot rounds and rounds in the vicinity of the boat, but they were easily dodgeable. I faced backwards as my boat sped through the ocean.

I could see the four Remnants standing in a line near the huts. They were immobile, watching me intently, analyzing the action that unfolded. Except Fuyuhiko, who began desperately searching his body for the knife he dropped yesterday. Once he realized that I had it, he cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled something that I couldn't hear due to all the gunfire. I assumed it was full of meaningless curses.

I then began staring at the uselessly incompetent troops of the Future Foundation, most of them ceasing their fire. I could see them scrambling to ready their captains and catch up to me, but their large ships were much too slow. At the rate they were moving at, I'd be finished with my mission before they reached the Headquarters.

An unsettling thought then occurred to me. What will these troops do after my mission is successful? They'll surely search me out to the ends of the earth, considering I blatantly destroyed their property, killed their men, and stole one of their lifeboats. Not to mention they were ordered to kill me.

They would be a thorn in my side... But once the Future Foundation is destroyed, they'll have no one to take orders from. So they'd have to decide for themselves what to do at that point. I didn't have time to accurately plan around this, but it will have to do for now.

Because at this point, I have to focus on completing my mission and getting out before the troops can find me. Which should be extremely simple.

Since the game has gone on long enough, the word has surely spread of the Future Foundation turning against itself. Everyone knows the organization is dying, which is enough to ensure that it isn't reconstructed afterwards. So all I had to do was exactly what Monaca wouldn't: kill them all, except Kyoko.

Well, this is all provided Kyoko doesn't die in the meantime. I clenched my fists in rage at Monaca's incompetence. She's putting Kyoko at risk...

But all I can do is sit here and wait. Until I reach my destination.

"Kyoko... I'm coming for you... Hold on just a bit longer..."

I stared out into the distance, waiting impatiently for the skyscraping building to come into view. I looked at the food and water I brought along. It wasn't quite perfect but it was better than nothing. I shrugged and began eating. I'd need my strength if I was going to kill...

* * *

My lifeboat's engine dulled to a stop near the Future Foundation's base, the sky behind it growing darker and darker shades of red. The sun was beginning to set. This was the perfect time to kill everyone, when they were sleeping. I nodded and jumped off the boat and onto the docks. I began walking intently towards the building, transitioning onto the rocks that the building was supported by.

I memorized the layout of this building some time ago, and that information will be invaluable now. There's a secret entrance near here; and I knew exactly how to get in.

My pace quickened as I grew nervous, hurriedly trying to reach Kyoko before something unfortunate happened to her. However, there was something unexpected in my path, and I stopped.

Sitting before me was a man with long, unkempt brown hair. He was wearing glasses over his tan skin. His black jacket was draped over his white shirt almost like a cloak, and his formal, dark pants contrasted with the simple sandals he wore. He was sitting in a pretzel, in front of a hole in the rocky area, seemingly fishing. But most notably, he had a crystal ball in his hands.

Ah, yes. Yasuhiro Hagakure. The Ultimate Clairvoyant. And another one of Makoto's classmates. As he saw me, he froze, surprised that someone else has come here.

He would see me enter and leave the Headquarters. I don't know what he'd do about it, but it was definitely something to consider.

I sighed. After Monaca's unsuccessful attempt, I promised myself to not allow for any loose ends. And that includes letting him live.

Looks like I'd have to add one more victim to my list...


	11. Arrival

I reached into my pocket and readied Fuyuhiko's knife, Yasuhiro now growing more apprehensive and anxious. His eyes grew wide, and he began to rapidly wave his hands and yell.

"H-hey, man! Wh-what's the knife for?"

Yasuhiro's voice was shaking, very much like his body was. Nevertheless, I took a step forward, and as I expected, Hiro started begging.

"I-I've got your money... I'll pay you back, I promise!"

Imbecile. Thinking I was here to make him pay for his debts. Money is expendable.

Well, if he wants to pay, I'll make him pay for something. For getting in my way.

With one fell swoop, I propelled myself forward on my right leg, driving the dagger towards Hiro's neck. He closed his eyes, pushed his hands forward, and yelled loudly.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

I stopped myself as soon as the edge of the dagger touched his neck. I'm still unsure why; maybe I was more reluctant to kill than I thought I was. Nevertheless, he still needed to die if he was in my way.

Hiro was still screaming, with my knife pressed against his neck. I interrupted him.

"Are you with them?"

"Huh?"

Hiro finally peeped one eye open, and upon noticing my face close to his, he jumped a bit.

Idiot. It looks like I'd need to repeat myself.

"The Future Foundation. Are you with them?"

"U-um... Well, sorta, but-"

"Get to the point." I said, as I pressed the knife harder against his neck.

"N-no! I'm not with them! Please don't kill me!"

"If you're not with them, why are you out here?"

"Well, because... I-I actually was with them! I was sorta like an intern!"

I rolled my eyes. This was _definitely_ not worth my time.

"But they... They fired me! And they wouldn't let me in! I tried bangin' on the door, too! And they were like,"

Hiro turned his head to the side, closed his eyes, and began mocking the Future Foundation officials.

'You're not with us anymore! You can't come in!'

It didn't matter how much he was blatantly lying just to save himself. The more time I spent here, the less time I had to save Kyoko.

I instantly recalled Monaca's mention of Kyoko's NG Code.

 _Passing the fourth time limit with Makoto Naegi alive._

Once this night hit, she'd die unless Makoto was killed. And last I checked, he was alive. Lucky bastard.

I clenched my fists tightly as the nervousness overtook me again. Monaca decided to reveal herself at the _worst_ possible time. Her incompetence just _had_ to make things harder...

The void in my heart grew stronger. I've made it all this way, I've executed this complicated plan, all to save her. She was the only thing that mattered to me. And now she could very well be in danger. I _needed_ to get to Kyoko as soon as possible. And Makoto Naegi needed to die. Or else my plan would fail. And I cannot stand failure. Izuru Kamukura does _not_ fail.

I finished weighing my options. Yasuhiro wasn't enough of a threat. I needed to leave _now_.

I shoved Hiro down to the ground, pulling my knife away. His face displayed signs of relief, until he realized that his crystal ball was rolling away. He scrambled to pick it up.

As I began walking away, I threw some comments at Yasuhiro.

"You don't want to be in there. They're killing each other."

Hiro's eyes widened at the mention of more killing. He gripped his crystal ball tightly, staring off at the building.

"But... But they're in there..."

"It'll be over soon enough." I said, as I walked further away from him.

"Hey... Are you gonna break in? Are you... Are you gonna kill them? Or save them?"

"Both."

In dying, they would be saved from their futility. I'd save them from the constant conflict between Hope and Despair.

Hiro displayed a confused look as I continued walking, but then his face lit up.

"Wait! I can find out!"

Hiro held up his crystal ball and began rubbing it, staring intently into it as if there was some speck of dust that he missed.

I turned around for a second. The future was not something to play with. Even _I_ knew that. Because I am the Ultimate Ultimate, I too had the power to see into the future. However, my power was much stronger than the normal Ultimate Clairvoyance. This power made looking into the future a living nightmare. The benefit gained wasn't nearly worth it.

Yes, there _is_ such a thing as too much power. Not being able to tolerate anyone beneath you, having to do everything yourself... These are the unfortunate results of too much power. That being said, I still wouldn't give up what I have. I couldn't possibly turn myself back into someone as worthless as Hajime Hinata.

Even though Hiro's Ultimate Clairvoyance was only right thirty percent of the time, his input intrigued me. Because it was something I didn't have easy access to. The time lost here could be easily made up and more if I knew what would happen in the future. I stopped moving, and focused my eyes on him. Hiro, noticing my attention for a second, began concentrating even more, as someone expressed interest in his skills. He started rubbing the ball rapidly, focusing his face and squinting his eyes.

"I see... The entrance... They're... They're leaving! I see them walking outside! There aren't that many of them, but they're alive! You _are_ gonna save them! I knew it!"

Hm. That's the exact opposite of my plan. I'm here to kill them, not to save them. They'd all be dead before sunrise. I needed to take a look at that crystal ball...

Maybe it'd be different this time. Maybe _I_ could see exactly what _he_ did. And nothing else.

I walked over to Yasuhiro and grabbed his crystal ball and pulled it towards me.

"Hey, man! I paid one hundred million yen for that! It's a prized relic! You can't just take-"

I reminded him that I had a knife, reaching in my pocket and pulling it out. I smirked a bit at the fear that formed in his eyes.

"F-fine! Take it!"

Hiro pushed the crystal ball towards me, and I grabbed it after putting the knife away. The ball felt smooth from years and years of rubbing. I could sense visions forming from my touch.

"Y-you'll give it back, right?"

I ignored his response as I focused my attention on the ball, rubbing it to gaze into the future.

As I wanted, the remnants of Hiro's prediction were still there, because the first thing I saw was exactly what he described. People leaving the Headquarters. They were standing outside... and Kyoko was just leaving. My focus shifted to her. Her beauty in the sunset took my breath away, her silky purple hair blowing in the wind, her presence unlike any other. She stared out into the sky, displaying a stoic expression on her face.

This... There was no _way_ this was the future. I'd never let these people go. They'd rebuild the Future Foundation, and they'd target me for being the most dangerous Remnant. Nothing I could do could change that.

And besides, I was nowhere to be seen in that image. Where _was_ I, if not with Kyoko? How could I not be in this picture, if my plan directly involved saving her?

Wait. Maybe I was-

Before I could confirm my theory, the image grew smaller, and split into two images. The newer one showed me standing on the rocks near the Headquarters alone, hair blowing in the dull dark red sky.

Wait... Where's Kyoko... What is this...

Not long after, these images split again and now I saw four small pictures.

No... It's happening...

I struggled to focus on each of the images, but they were multiplying too fast. Four turned into sixteen, sixteen turned into two hundred fifty six, two hundred fifty six turned into sixty five thousand, five hundred thirty six-

I vainly tried to process each one, putting too much strain on my brain all at once. My eyes fell deeper and deeper into the crystal ball, losing myself in my concentration.

This is why I didn't peer into the future. Because there were too many of them.

"Hey... You ok, man?"

Hiro's voice seeped into my brain as a dull echo. It made me realize that I was falling into a trance. A trance that I might not escape from. So, with measurable force, I broke my concentration.

I tore my eyes away from the crystal ball abruptly, grimacing, holding the ball out towards Hiro. I turned my head the other way, breathing heavily at the stress I induced on myself.

"You know, they say people who can't see the future see demons when they try. That guy who sold me this crystal ball told me so."

He took the crystal ball back quickly, shining it with his shirt, while I was still trying to rid my eyes of the 'demons' I saw. There were no demons, but those visions were quite demonic...

"The future isn't for everybody, man. I'm one of the few who can take it."

At this point, I mostly regained my composure, taking a few more breaths for good measure. I fully decided I'd never do _that_ again.

"By the way... If you ever need your fortune told, I'm your man. I'll give you a discount, too! Only one hundred thousand yen!"

I squinted my eyes condescendingly at him, and turned around. I already spent too much time with Yasuhiro. I needed to hurry if I was going to rescue Kyoko.

As I began walking away, he spoke again.

"Hey! Where are you-"

"Don't speak with me ever again."

That comment did its job, shutting him up as I got further and further away from him.

What an imbecile, desiring money. There are much greater forces in the world than money...

I reached the building, and put my hand up to the cold metal surface. I remember this place very well...

There should be an entrance, not too far from here... A secret entrance that most of the fools at the Future Foundation don't know of...

I know the structure of this building inside-out. It hasn't changed in years. They _were_ planning on building another, underwater facility, but Makoto squandered their funds on the Neo World Program...

Silently, I felt around the wall for a slightly protruding panel... It was around here somewhere...

There.

I slowly pressed the panel, and a wall to my right slid open a couple feet. Enough to slip in.

I slithered into the gap, and after a few seconds the wall closed behind me.

It was pitch dark once the door closed, but I memorized the layout. What I could vaguely see with my Ultimate eyes was already imprinted into my brain.

What this area _should_ be is a round room... with a table in the center... the power room up on the far left... and a secret entrance to the building straight ahead.

My eyes confirmed the silhouettes of such objects. I stepped quietly around the table and forward, closer to the door.

I looked to my left once I reached it. The power room was lit up with dull reds and greens, signaling the state of the building.

Wait. The monitors... Turning off the power would disable the monitors... And without the means to convince people to commit suicide, the Killing Game would end...

I should do that sooner rather than later, if I was going to kill everyone before night anyways...

But before I could do so, I heard voices coming from beyond the door in front of me. They were barely audible, so I pressed the button next to the secret entrance, causing the door to slide open slowly. It led to the study, and there'd be a bookcase in front of it. I'd have to topple it over. But I'd have to figure out what was happening in that room first.

The voices got much louder as the door opened. As soon as I heard what one of them was saying, I smiled.

Haven't heard that voice in a _long_ time... That beautiful voice I traveled all this way for...

She was right in front of me. And most importantly, she was alive. Relief flooded through my body, knowing that this plan could still succeed. Knowing that our life together in Ambivalence could still become a reality.

Maybe I overreacted when I was scolding Monaca. Maybe everything would be fine.

But of course, you should never count your chickens before they hatch.

For now, I focused on Kyoko's lustrous voice and lost myself in its brilliance.

* * *

"You killed him yourself." I said, as I stared down Ruruka Ando.

I was breathing pretty heavily right now, considering the sequence of events that just unfolded. Ryota, Koichi, and I were cornered in the study by Juzo Sakakura; the first time I actually felt scared for my life in this forsaken Killing Game. However, everything turned out fine, because Koichi, being the former Ultimate Scout, planted traps for Juzo and lured him into one, thereby making him immobile.

That was very intelligent on his part. Having worked with Juzo, Koichi knew his weaknesses. And that's all that really mattered now; in a game that has turned friends against friends and allies against allies.

Why did this have to happen? Why did it always have to be a Killing Game?

Obviously, I wanted no part in this. I've already been through my fair share of Killing Games. But there was no escape, so I had to deal with it.

And everyone was relying on me and my Ultimate Detective skills to learn the truth behind this game. So I needed to try my best once again, and never give up.

I've already collected a large amount of information and evidence, so the mystery wasn't quite a mystery anymore. In fact, I think I've solved it.

All the victims were killed the same way. Dagger through the chest. And in the exact same place, too. Examining the nature of the wounds, there was only one possibility.

Suicide. The victims must have killed themselves. There's no way one killer could have made those exact wounds; they'd have to position themselves awkwardly to even consider making such an attack.

And those monitors. They have something to do with the case, too. Every single victim was positioned near a monitor. I kept a detailed report of each death in my notebook, sitting in my jacket pocket. That's how I could detect such similarities. Besides, that's how any good detective would do it, anyways.

I internally sighed and thought of the notebook. I needed to be particularly clear when I took notes this time. Because for the first time, others might have to comprehend them.

I remembered what was on my wrist. I remembered my NG Code.

 _Passing the fourth time limit with Makoto Naegi alive._

The memory brought back depression and the quiet, creeping feeling of impending death. The feeling that you're trapped with no way out, continuously wandering in a dark corridor until something jumped out and killed you. The feeling of Despair.

Makoto Naegi was my friend. I've been through so much with him. Knowing that only one of us will make it out of this Killing Game alive...

And odds are, Makoto's Ultimate Luck would keep him alive. So I was fully expecting to die as soon as this time limit hit. Which was tonight...

I wasn't fully prepared for it, no, but it was going to happen regardless. Things like these hit you when you're least ready for them. Being a detective, I was exposed to many such situations, when something unexpected slaps you in the face and you're forced to deal with it. Dealing with possible death was common to me. But dealing with _certain_ death was not...

I forced myself to stop thinking about it. There was no use dwelling on something yet to come. My responsibility to learn the secrets of this Killing Game is larger than me, and quite possibly larger than the Future Foundation itself. In the end, detectives push their feelings aside when work has to get done.

I began reminiscing upon my last case, where giving in to feelings almost caused me to lose my job. But that wouldn't have mattered, because it was all for him.

For Izuru Kamukura.

I still loved him just as much, even though he was probably a new person, dealing with new people and living on that new island. He'd be reading that book I left for him; I wonder how his new self felt about it.

While he was in paradise, I was trapped here in this Killing Game, and I might never get the chance to see him again. This was one of the hardest parts of dealing with such impending death... Knowing that I won't get the chance to finish tying all the loose ends we left each other with...

I dreamed of him, of us, living on that island together. I wished life could be that simple, away from all conflict...

Ruruka woke me from my trance with her yelling. I almost forgot; there was work I needed to do.

"What? Why would _I_ kill Sonosuke? We've been together our whole life!" Ruruka exclaimed back to me, growing angrier and more defiant every second.

Yup. I knew it. She really _did_ kill him. I could easily see through her guise and her lies.

Kyoko Kirigiri always finds the truth. No matter what.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." I said, unfazed at the tension in the room.

Ruruka was no stranger to desperate measures, having almost killed me for getting on her case. She activated a trap door while I was standing directly above it.

That was the second time this game that I was scared for my life. Thankfully, it was again Koichi who saved me. He broke his NG Code to grab my hand and pull me back up, but fell in the process. I'm still unsure if it was the poison from his bracelet or the impact of the floor that killed him. It didn't matter, really.

I used to classify him with my father, and with all of Hope's Peak Faculty, as people who I didn't want to deal with. I tried to ignore him, even though he constantly insisted on following me. I never really knew why, but I had a pretty good guess once he sacrificed himself for me.

It was because of my father, right? They worked together almost every day. Did my father ask him to protect me?

" _What?_ " Ruruka yelled, bringing me back to reality yet again, "You don't make _any_ sense!"

"I have a detailed record of every kill this so-called killer made. And all of the wounds are exactly alike. Except for this one."

"So what?" she yelled, not understanding my logic one bit.

"The killer wouldn't break protocol here. My intuition suggests that the poison from breaking his NG Code actually killed him, and the dagger was an afterthought."

Ruruka was apparently stunned by my statement, as were the other two in the room, Ryota and Juzo. So, I continued.

"And Sonosuke wouldn't let just anyone know about his NG Code. There's only one person who he'd trust enough with this information. But it seems he couldn't even trust her, because she ended up killing him"

My eyes pierced Ruruka, who was trembling with fear.

"I'd never do that! Why would I kill Sonosuke Izayoi?"

"Because he knew too much. Because he endangered you."

"How could he do that?"

"He was going to inadvertently break your NG Code."

"Wh-what?"

"Your NG Code is allowing someone to escape the building, isn't it?"

Ruruka's eyes widened, and she just stood there, not knowing what to say.

It seems I was correct, then.

"And this is what Sonosuke found. Something you wished he didn't."

After taking a deep breath, I reached my hand out to my left and shoved the bookcase there forward. The books started hitting the ground first, resulting in a collection of thumps and swishes until the bookcase hit the ground with a loud thud.

As expected, Ruruka and the others were staring at the area behind the bookcase in amazement. But what I didn't expect was the immediate transition to a look of terror and fear.

I lowered my eyebrows in suspicion, and then turned around to see what it was everyone was gawking at.

Behind the bookcase was the secret exit, as I found out earlier. But what was actually there filled me with mixed emotions. Surprise, anxiety, ecstasy, love, relief, and the immediate impulse to hide these feelings lest the others would catch on. My heart fluttered internally at the sight.

Standing there, long hair settling from the wind from the bookcase, red eyes piercing through the room, was him.

Izuru Kamukura.


	12. Conflict

As the bookcase fell, I could see the study before me. Standing there were four people, eyes locked on me, with nervous and anxious looks on their faces. In the middle of the room was a square pit, for some reason. Presumably used to kill someone, given the situation.

In the far left corner stood a young man in a generic green-ish suit. His short hair was a dull yellow, his eyes being the highlight of his face, insofar as the dark bags underneath emphasized them.

It seems the Ultimate Animator has been working hard recently.

Ryota Mitarai has the video that Tengan wants to show the world. And taking into account Ryota's work ethic, and his visible lack of sleep, I could assume the video was finished.

I smirked. He'd be the first to go.

Across from the pit was a woman in a pink outfit, with an absurdly large amount of white fur around her neck. The yellow beanie on her head completed the casual image, however she was shaking just like the rest of them.

Ruruka Ando. She wouldn't be a problem at all. I'm surprised she lasted this long.

On my right was a particularly muscular man, a spear having torn through his lower shoulder, locking him against the wall and making him immobile. He was wearing a white shirt, now bloodied, and a dark jacket. His hair was a short and messy black, and his eyes were wide in disbelief.

Juzo Sakakura. I'd have to keep my eye out for him, but the spear has me covered for now.

I honestly could care less about these people, because the only one that mattered to me was standing about two feet away.

Kyoko Kirigiri was standing there, as beautiful as ever. Her expression was different from the others; her face displayed more shock and uncertainty than nervousness. I could tell she was straining herself to hold back her emotions.

We could handle that another time. I slowly shifted my eyes away from her, so no one would notice where my loyalties lied. Because understanding someone is the first step towards defeating them, as I've mentioned before.

I took my first couple steps into the study, my shoes tapping on the overturned bookcase as I crossed it.

Ryota began trembling, lifting his arm up and pointing a thin finger at me. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words didn't come out until a second later.

"You..."

Yes. They all remember me. I met them during my time at Hope's Peak, and they, especially Ryota, were an integral part of Junko's-

They hit me again. The flashbacks. Visions of me being mindlessly controlled by Junko... Tending to her every will...

Ryota Mitarai's face clogged my mind... his face on that fateful day when he ran away from Junko... A face filled with Despair...

I clenched my fists to rid my mind of these pictures, trying to focus on something else. Anything...

But they kept coming back... They swirled in my mind, refusing to fade away...

"Izuru Kamukura..." Juzo Sakakura growled, from the wall across from me. His voice was the only clear thing in my head, snapping me back to reality. Broken from my trance, I turned towards him. The expression on his face had shifted from nervousness to anger and frustration, as he was scowling at me.

I continued making my way towards Ryota, with everyone else in the room completely frozen. Ryota's eyes grew larger as I approached, his statements coming in short bursts.

"So it was you all along... You're here to kill us, aren't you... You're here to avenge Junko... Isn't that right?"

I forced the demonic visions back this time, reminding myself that I was no longer her slave. I wasn't doing this for her, as they expected me to be. They're heavily misinformed.

I was doing this for me. And for Kyoko.

As I got within two feet of the paralyzed Ryota, I heard a sound from the right side of the room. It sounded like tearing flesh...

Ah. That's what's happening.

I flicked my eyes to the right quickly, and could barely see Juzo, holding the spear he pulled out of his shoulder. The head of the spear was dripping blood, and so was his wound. He instantaneously threw it directly at my face. However, he'd have to do _much_ better than that if he wanted to kill me.

Unfazed, I quickly took a step back, giving myself a foot of clearance between me and his target location. The spear hit the wall with a thud, blood splattering everywhere, speckling my face in red.

I could hear his heavy breathing as the room grew quiet. I slowly turned my head towards him, and gave him a condescending look. A look that was meant to confirm my superiority.

Juzo was standing there, surprisingly straight considering the large wound in his shoulder. He seemed the embodiment of anger, every muscle in his body tense and ready.

"It was my fault... My fault that Hope's Peak fell to Despair... Because I was weak. I ran away from my problems, because I was too scared to confront them..." Juzo confessed.

"I let Munakata down... I betrayed him... And every day I'm reminded of my decision..." Juzo said in a soft voice, quite different from his posture.

His voice rose as he hit the second part of his speech, kneeling down and picking up the pipe that he brought all the way to the study.

"But that won't happen anymore. I'm done playing your games! I'm done following your rules! I'll prove to Munakata that we _can_ destroy Despair, once and for all! And I'll start right now - with you."

Hmph. His actions are misguided, but there's a certain energy in them...

It seems he's been waiting his whole life for this chance. The chance to finally atone for his mistakes.

This fight won't be easy. But I _will_ win. Because I am Izuru Kamukura.

I scowled at Juzo, asserting my dominance. I grabbed the spear suspended horizontally in the wall, still dripping scarlet red blood, and pulled hard to dislodge it. I held the spear upright as I turned to him and spoke two simple words.

"You're first."

Suddenly, Juzo pushed himself forward, running up to the hole in the center of the room. Then he propelled himself across with his left foot, lunging at me. He held his pipe up, ready to strike.

Unemotionally, I swung my spear at him, catching his pipe as it was coming down on me. Due to his sheer strength I couldn't force him back into the hole midair, which would have disposed of him quickly and easily. Now I'd have to endure this fight just a bit longer.

I began pushing my weapon against Juzo's in an attempt to catch him off-balance. His face displayed pure anger and hatred, bottled up over innumerable days, giving him energy. After a couple seconds, I realized his muscular body could overpower me. I then released the deadlock and took a step back, waiting for his next action. He stood there for a few seconds, examining me, but in the end he couldn't resist the urge to attack. He swung at me with his pipe yet again.

* * *

I silently watched as Izuru and Juzo began fighting, exchanging blows with their weapons, the blood from the spear splattering everywhere. Ryota recoiled back against the wall to avoid being struck, and Ruruka did the same albeit further away, eyes widening with every hit.

From the looks of it, it seems Izuru came to fight the Future Foundation. But why? What was his motive?

Did the Neo World Program _really_ have no effect on him whatsoever? Did he decide to fulfill Junko's will and destroy all Hope?

Or was it something more? Was it... was it me?

My face began to get red at the thought, but I quickly shook it off. I could never be truly sure of his intentions without asking him directly.

And surely I couldn't do _that_ with people around... They might think that I was on his side... That I was involved with Despair...

Or worse. They'd learn about our relationship...

I took a deep breath. Calm yourself... Detectives always work best when they're calm...

The most important thing to do at this point was to gather information about Izuru's intentions, so I could make educated decisions in the future. And for this to happen, it was necessary to remove everyone else from the room except for Izuru and I.

I'm not going to say that the prospect of Izuru and I being in an empty room together didn't influence me, but it was the most logical next step anyways.

I ran over to Ruruka and Ryota, who were watching aghast at the combat between Izuru and Juzo. Their eyes were wide with horror and anticipation, strongly hoping that Juzo would be the victor in the end. They both turned to me as I approached them.

"Izuru Kamukura will not be defeated easily. He's stronger than anyone. We'll need all the help we can get to take care of him."

Ryota nodded confidently, his goldenrod hair bobbing quickly. Ruruka didn't acknowledge my statement, however. It seems like I'd need to elaborate.

"Go find the others. Together, we'll have a much higher chance of defeating him."

Ruruka, finally realizing that she was being asked to run away from a conflict she didn't want to participate in anyways, gave me a fervent nod and began running towards the door. She threw it open and continued onwards, the clicking of her heels contrasting from the constant clang of metal against metal a couple feet away.

Ryota turned around and started to follow her, and I internally congratulated myself on a successful bluff. But before I could bask in its glory, Ryota stopped instantly. His pose stiffened, and he seemed a bit more indecisive about fleeing the scene. I secretly hoped that he'd leave, so I held my breath and I filled myself with anticipation. My heart sank after he turned back towards me, with passionate eyes.

"No! I'm not running away again! Not this time... If Juzo can stand up to him, I can too..."

I tilted my head slightly in confusion, so he continued.

"I remember... Back in Hope's Peak... I was animating for Junko... He was there too... Once I realized what they were up to... I ran. I ran as far as I could, away from them. Away from their Despair, in the hopes that it would just go away."

The weapons behind me continued to crash against each other, at a varied yet consistent pace. It seems the fight was evenly matched, for now...

"But I felt like a coward for doing so. A completely useless coward. I'm sure Juzo felt the same way... So that's why I'll fight this time! Even if I die, I can't bear to deal with this feeling any longer..."

Junko's reach must have been farther than I thought... To have a lasting effect on these people...

As much as I sympathized with his story, he still needed to leave. I quickly gave him a counterargument. Anything to get him out of the room...

"You aren't running away. You're getting help. There's a difference."

"But it feels the same! You said it yourself, we need all the help we can get to defeat Izuru. Why can't I help Juzo now?"

Argh, he's being overly insistent now...

"You might get in his way. He seems to be handling the situation fine by himself for now."

Ryota looked over at the two of them fighting, still exchanging blows at a relatively equal rate, neither one gaining any perceivable advantage. Good...

"We can hold off Izuru. The faster we find help, and the more people we find, the faster we can end this game once and for all."

Ryota nodded, but considered my words for a few seconds.

" _We_? Aren't you gonna find help too?"

Ugh... Now I'd have to provide a reason for me to stay...

"You're forgetting that I was the one who captured Izuru Kamukura in the first place. I'm the only one here who understands him."

Luckily, this argument convinced Ryota, as he wished me good luck and then ran off, in a different direction than Ruruka did. I took a deep breath to calm myself down as I watched him go, and once he was sufficiently out of sight, I closed the door behind him and turned back around to face Izuru and Juzo. The two of them had their weapons locked again, trying to overpower the other. The determination in Izuru's face was admirable...

I began to lose myself in his deep eyes until Juzo shouted out at me behind his back.

"Hey! What are you doing just standing there! Fuckin', help me!"

My eyes widened a bit at his request, although it was to be expected. I _was_ on his side after all, and Izuru was technically my enemy. So something would seem suspicious if I didn't actively help detain him...

But I loved Izuru with all my heart. How was I supposed to see him as my enemy? I couldn't possibly bring myself to harm him in any way. At least until I knew his intentions...

I panicked a bit, not knowing how to respond. My brain almost turned off, but I quickly regained my composure. The only _real_ choice here was to remain neutral, and help neither party.

But how... How could I convince him that my choice would be optimal...

Well, I guess I'd just use the same argument I did for Ryota.

"I-I'm not as good a fighter as you. I'd only get in your way." I said, stuttering a bit initially. I rarely stuttered, and it wasn't good to show weakness and indecisiveness, but now wasn't the time to consider such matters. He wouldn't think much of it, considering he had more important matters on his hands...

* * *

I stood there, locking weapons with Juzo, when he spoke up to her. Naturally, my eyes shifted over to hers, reading her expression through them. She seemed initially startled, and torn. Her response was so nervous... So uncertain...

I smirked a bit. She's cute when she's emotional.

Then her eyes met mine, and I noticed something else entirely. Her large, purple eyes eased up, releasing the tension they held. They displayed the feeling of longing, the feeling of impatience, the feeling that everything's so close yet there's something still in your way-

CLANG

I could feel the spear thrust from my hands as my grip couldn't hold any longer, due to Juzo's continuous unrelenting pressure. My eyes were still locked on Kyoko's, which widened out of surprise and disbelief. She let out a small gasp as she watched the spear fall down the pit, reverberating a sharp clanking sound every couple seconds, and eventually fading away.

I looked back at Juzo, who was displaying a sly grin, as he just gained the upper hand. I scowled under my breath, mad at myself for letting external motives get to me in a fight. I'm sure this wouldn't have happened if I was paying attention...

But not having a weapon is only a small detriment. I'll just have to fight more carefully.

And not let Kyoko distract me. Which can be difficult...

Juzo, now not having to worry about my spear, took a swing with his pipe. I dodged it, taking a quick step backwards. He swung again, and again, knowing that I couldn't come in for a counterattack because his range was larger than mine. I continued to dodge, moving farther and farther back to get out of range. Eventually, he'd tire himself out, and then I'd be able to come in for the kill-

THUNK

I hit something behind me. The bookcase. It seems I've ran out of space to retreat...

The force that I backed into it with caused the contents to rattle, and a book fell from the upper shelf. It was red and worn out, and I quickly grabbed it. Juzo seemed to be startled, too, because he paused in his offensive.

The cover of the book read ' _The History of the Future Foundation'_. I couldn't analyze more because Juzo started attacking me again with the pipe.

I used the book to shove the pipe away from me. He continued to attack in long, powerful strokes, and I defended the best I could with this simple, useless book about a simple, useless subject. I could tell the book was losing its shape with every hit, as the binding that held the paper together became looser and looser.

This was a losing battle. I needed to find a way to regain the upper hand, and quickly.

Juzo eventually got angered over his attacks being deflected with a mere book, and took a stab at me directly this time. The pipe was heading towards my chest fast enough that I barely had time to think.

I swiftly pulled the book in to guard my chest, like a shield. Juzo's pipe pierced through the front cover with some difficulty, but not enough to stop it. However, the pipe didn't make it to the back cover, thanks to the countless pages of worthless information some imbecile decided to have printed.

Juzo growled at my successful defense yet again, getting increasingly frustrated. I could see the tension boiling up in his veins, as he aggressively yanked on the pipe in an attempt to free it from the book.

This ruffling of paper gave me an idea.

Yes, this would work quite well...

After a couple seconds, I could no longer hold Juzo's pipe hostage in the book. Juzo staggered backwards a bit once his pipe was free, rebalancing himself because he was pulling with such force.

I took one last look at the book. What a fitting end...

I tore all of the pages out in one attempt, thanks to the weakened binding, and I threw the cover to the side. Juzo, confused, decided to do the only thing his imbecilic linear brain could think of, which was to try to hit me before I could execute my plan. He lifted the pipe up, ready to take a swing.

However, I didn't give him that chance. I tossed all of the pages in the air, in Juzo's direction. With the number of pages in that large book, I'd have at least a couple seconds of privacy...

Juzo's eyes widened in anger as he swung his pipe through the hundreds of pages fluttering in front of him. It took him numerous hacks and slashes to finally clear the path. He stepped forward, pushing away the remaining floating pages, winding back his pipe in preparation to strike.

But I wasn't there.

* * *

My nervousness turned into approval as I watched Izuru hide from Juzo. Juzo's anger levels rose dramatically once he realized what happened, turning back and forth quickly in an attempt to spot him.

It wasn't _that_ hard to find him. Juzo just wasn't looking in the right places...

"Hey! Detective! Where'd he go?"

Huh? Oh, Juzo was relying on my intelligence, because his specialty had little to do with it. I jumped a bit at his request, not knowing how to respond.

I _did_ know where he was. Izuru was inside the hole, grabbing the edge with his fingertips. Even though they were covered by the book pages he threw, all Juzo had to do was look down to notice that something was amiss.

But I wasn't going to tell Juzo that. I couldn't possibly out Izuru. He was the first man who I ever truly loved. And even though he could very well be on the side of Despair, even though I had a responsibility to the Foundation to catch him, I had a responsibility to myself as well. And if I learned anything from my past mission, I valued this more than anything else in the world.

"You're good at this, right? You must have seen where he went. So tell me!" Juzo growled, angered by my consistent ambivalence.

"I didn't catch him. The papers blocked my sight, too." I lied

"Seriously? There were barely enough papers to block _my_ vision, let alone _yours_. One of us _had_ to have seen him!"

"You're underestimating the power of Izuru Kamukura. He has more abilities than you can count. There's a very high chance he could have evaded my vision as well."

Juzo finally reached his breaking point. He began yelling at me, angered that one of his own wasn't helping him. He started to stomp over in my direction, displaying the same hostility towards me as he did towards Izuru.

"Listen up! You're gonna tell me where he went, or you'll be-"

From the ruffling of the papers beneath Juzo, I could tell Izuru released one hand from the edge, and he lifted his arm up. As Juzo was walking towards me, with one foot rising from the floor, Izuru's arm flew out in front of his legs, causing Juzo's feet to get caught. He tripped, and he began to fall forwards with a grunt. Izuru grabbed the ledge again and used his legs to push off the wall, flying backwards to put the hole between him and Juzo. Izuru's back hit a wall, and he slid down a bit, sitting on the ground. He quickly picked himself up and began looking for weapons to use, to combat the pipe that Juzo held.

* * *

There's nothing here. Nothing to use as a weapon.

Books were already proven to be useless against pipes. And the only other thing in the room I could use was a table leg, which would take time to remove...

Hmpf. I guess it came down to this.

Rapidly, I searched my pockets for Fuyuhiko's knife, and I pulled it out. Juzo was just getting back on his feet. Now was the best time to strike.

I ran around the hole towards Juzo, ready to stab with the knife. His face was the epitome of anger now, gripping the pipe with excess force. He began taking small steps forward, as to my surprise, bringing the fight dangerously close to Kyoko.

I'd have to finish this up as quick as possible, then. I got within three feet of Juzo when he carefully readied his pipe and swung.

But it wasn't directed at me. He stopped the pipe next to Kyoko's neck, her eyes widening and her body jumping.

No... After all this time...

"Don't move, or she gets it." Juzo growled in a low voice.

I halted my movement, the knife mere inches away from Juzo's chest. I looked upwards, into Juzo's eyes. They were strained and heavy, looking like they've seen everything. I could tell Juzo strongly hoped he would never have to deal with any of this again.

And then I turned towards Kyoko. She was nervous, extremely nervous, even though her face didn't show it. Her wavering eyes said it all.

"I knew something was up... Who knew our very own detective was working with Junko's greatest pupil?"

Kyoko opened her mouth and spoke in an attempt to disprove Juzo, but all she could do was stutter before he cut her off.

"Don't say anything. I'm tired of this shit. I'm tired of having to listen to you people. It doesn't fucking matter what you say, I'm done letting others change my mind for me when mine's already made up."

Juzo was almost trembling, but he kept enough composure to prevent me from attacking.

"Put the knife down."

I blinked, still unable to believe Juzo's actions. He recognized that Kyoko was my weakness... And now he's using it against me...

I clenched my fists in anger. _Why_ did this have to happen? If only she left the room instead of staying here and providing no help at all... Juzo wouldn't have found this out if she left...

I couldn't be mad at Kyoko, as much as I wanted to. I loved her too much. This is my fault for letting this happen...

I had the upper hand until this point. But Juzo understood my true motive. This is why you never let your enemies see through you...

" _Put it down!_ " Juzo yelled, voice wavering a bit, growing impatient with my ignorance.

I put down my only weapon slowly. _How_ am I supposed to beat him now? He's got the woman I love hostage, and there's nothing I can do without him killing her...

My hopes for this plan succeeding were slowly dwindling... Is this really how it would end?

No. There's a way out. There _has_ to be. I'm Izuru Kamukura. I cannot possibly lose.

But what can I do when I'm reliant on a less perfect individual?

"I'm tired of this long, futile war between Hope and Despair. It ends here." Juzo said, with the anger returning to his voice and his eyes.

"A noble cause. That is my goal as well." I said, hoping to buy enough time to think of a way out...

"Don't say _anything_. Don't even move a muscle. Or you know what'll happen."

I willingly complied, not wanting to risk Kyoko's life as well. Juzo moved the pipe away from Kyoko, slowly to ensure he could respond to any action I took. Once the pipe was within range to attack me, Juzo swiftly raised the pipe in preparation.

Was this... Was this the end?

I started filling my mind with possible actions I could take, but all of them resulted in the same undesirable outcome: either me or Kyoko dying. My brain went into overdrive, considering every possibility. There _has_ to be a way...

Juzo Sakakura gave me a condescending look as he began to lower his pipe, aimed to slice my neck open, to end this.


	13. Reunion

I stared upwards at Juzo Sakakura, who was eager to kill me. One strike from that pipe he was holding would not, but it would put me in a position where I couldn't counterattack, and at that point he could just beat me to death.

I needed to think of something _now_. I only had mere seconds to come up with a plan. Yet fear and anxiety grew inside me, threatening to swallow me up before I had the chance.

Juzo's attack began, as the pipe made its way towards my neck. My brain desperately tried to repel the emotions I felt, and to think of a solution. Adrenaline rushed through my body, fueling my brain and enhancing my senses. At this point, Juzo seemed to be moving in slow motion, the eyes on his face growing more focused and angered, his mouth opening into a yell, his pipe slowly descending, ticking away the time I had left.

What weapons did I have? What could I do? I couldn't grab the knife in time to stop his attack. And besides, even if I did, he'd just attack Kyoko, and I surely didn't want that. Kyoko's insistence on staying in the room could very well cause my death. She was the only thing Juzo had on me. Otherwise, this fight would have been very simplistic. Very predictable. But because of this, my options were severely limited.

If I dodged out of the way, he'd attack her. If I tried to parry his attack, he'd attack her. If I tried to talk him out of it, he'd just ignore me and attack her. I needed to find a way to incapacitate him or immobilize him in one movement or else he'd have time to kill the only thing precious to me...

But what can I do when the only tool I have at my disposal are my fists? There's no way, with Juzo being the former Ultimate Boxer, that I'd be able to land a punch on him at all. And even if I did, it wouldn't do much-

Wait.

His NG Code.

 _My_ fists couldn't do anything, but _his_ fists could.

If he punches something, the poison from his bracelet would be injected into his body, causing him to die within a minute. As much as he could counterattack from this, his strength would be depleted due to his body's attempt to deal with the poison.

My eyes focused back on Juzo again, and the pipe that was now two feet away from my neck. I saw the bracelet sitting there, around his wrist.

I smirked. Tengan, I'd have to thank you for this as well.

Swiftly, I rose upwards and thrust my shoulder towards his fist holding the pipe. Juzo's eyes widened in surprise, yet he couldn't respond in time. The front of my shoulder hit his fist directly, with a satisfying thud. The force Juzo was striking with was channeled into my shoulder, which stopped the pipe from moving forward. When counteracted with the force I applied to his fist, it pushed both of us backwards. We both crashed to the ground.

Kyoko seemed concerned for both of us, yet she didn't intervene in any way. Smart of her. She didn't need to get involved in anything more.

Juzo's eyes showed more than surprise at this point. They displayed panic, agony, disbelief. Juzo looked at the bracelet on his wrist, which was beginning to secrete poison inside his body. His arm grew darker, and he started trembling. Hurriedly, Juzo picked himself up, dropped the pipe, and ran towards me, the tears forming in his eyes directly conflicting with his maddened expression.

My shoulder pulsed in pain from the impact of Juzo's fist; my body was clearly not used to this much strain. It was not broken, but I couldn't move it without experiencing a sharp burning sensation, so I took more time to get back on my feet than Juzo did. But before I could solidify my footing, Juzo grabbed my neck and he tackled me, shoving me back down to the ground. My entire body hurt from the impact.

Juzo then proceeded to tighten his grip on my neck in an attempt to suffocate me. Naturally, I grasped at his hands to try to free myself, my left arm burning with pain. Yet, his grip was too strong, and the amount of air I could take in decreased by the second. I desperately tried to breathe as much as I could. As long as I could survive until the poison kicked in... Then he'd lose his strength...

But that was becoming increasingly more difficult. Juzo's determination did not waver, even as I could tell one side of his body blackening due to the poison.

"I can't lose... I can't lose now..." Juzo sputtered as he continued to choke me. Warm tears dripped from his angered eyes onto my face.

I could feel my throat closing up, and my gasps for air were barely doing anything. I continued to thrash around in the hopes that Juzo would lose his grip, but it was in vain.

No... Just a bit longer... I could tell the poison was almost at it's full potential. His body was getting darker by the second.

And so was my vision. My sight became blurred and black, and after a couple seconds and more futile thrashing, the world faded away into darkness.

Kyoko... I'm sorry...

But I did all I could... with what I had to work with...

This is not... my fault...

...

CLANG

The reverberating sound of metal filled the air, followed by a quick thud. It rung through my exhausted mind, taking over my brain. Is this... what death sounds like?

At this point, I didn't know what to expect. This feeling of anticipation... This feeling of being at the mercy of death itself... I was not prepared for this at all, a feeling I've never felt during this whole journey.

As I wondered how death would treat me, my eyes began clearing up and my lungs started to fill with musty air.

What...

Things began to focus back into view. The world reformed in front of me, and I could tell I wasn't actually dead.

Because she was standing right in front of me.

Kyoko Kirigiri was there, standing tall, breathing heavily, eyes wide. She looked anxious and scared, as she was holding the rusted pipe that Juzo so carelessly threw away. The pipe was pointed at something next to me, and her eyes pointed in that direction as well...

I slowly managed to turn my head. Juzo Sakakura was laying there, crumpled on the floor, twitching, holding his head. He was breathing heavily as well, the poison finally getting to him.

Everything started to piece together. Kyoko must have whacked Juzo in the head with his own pipe, shoving him away and saving me from suffocation.

I sighed in relief. Kyoko... Thank you...

She _did_ unintentionally cause my demise... But she saved me from it as well...

If it was my choice, I would have been content without experiencing either, but relying on others didn't give me a choice.

"Nghhh..."

Sounds began coming from Juzo's mouth... He was trying to say something, but he couldn't quite muster the strength to do so.

"Why... Why does it have to end... like this..."

I could tell he was struggling to hold on... His eyes were yearning for something...

Kyoko looked at him with concern. I could tell she didn't want to have done what she did...

I managed to respond, between heavy breaths, "Everyone dies sometime... It's time for you... Now you are free from this futile conflict... This useless battle between... Hope and Despair..."

Juzo seemed thrown off a bit by my words, but he acknowledged them nonetheless. His words started to trail off, becoming less and less audible by the second.

"You're right... But... Munakata... I'm sorry... I couldn't be there for you...

I... I loved..."

Juzo's eyes closed before he could finish the sentence, his figure freezing. He was dead.

His passing did not cause me to feel any different. He was an obstacle to my plan. He needed to die. It simply felt like there was one less person in the room.

Which also meant _she_ was the only other one in this room.

Finally... I've been waiting for this moment for so long...

I turned back to Kyoko, who dropped her pipe on the ground with a clang. She closed her eyes, clearly distraught, as her breathing returned to normal. I didn't want her to have to feel this way... But this was necessary; Juzo would have killed both of us if Kyoko didn't intervene.

I struggled to stand up, my left shoulder still bothering me greatly. I gasped in pain as I tried to move, and Kyoko's eyes shot open. She turned towards me quickly.

It seems she realized the same thing I did...

She stared at me with curious yet stoic eyes as I slowly got on my feet. She didn't move from her position afterwards; we just stood there in silence for a couple seconds, looking at each other.

Maybe she's still reluctant to initiate. Looks like I'll have to do that for her.

I started walking towards Kyoko, displaying my signature charismatic yet intriguing grin, the one I charmed her with some time ago. Her eyes began to shine, and she gave me a smile as she anticipated my embrace.

As I approached her and opened my arms, she practically jumped into them. She closed her eyes and kissed me with her soft lips. In that moment, it all was worth it. Organizing the elaborate plan, having to deal with incompetence, the exhausting journey to make it here - there was nothing that compared to now. Her warm arms wrapped around me, body pressed against mine, sharing our affection with each other.

She may not be as Ultimate as I am, or as perfect, but she doesn't have to be.

She's perfect for _me_ , and nothing else matters.

We stood there for a while in our embrace, eyes closed, ignoring everything else, continuously kissing. I pulled her closer to me, to make up on lost time from my seclusion on Jabberwock Island.

Once we were finished, I opened my eyes. Her cheeks were flushed red, and a look of satisfaction appeared on her face, along with a grin.

"I remember everything." I said, with a soothing voice.

"That... explains a lot."

"I _did_ read your book. It brought back a certain... longing in me. One that was so strong that I decided to retrieve you myself."

"So you're here to rescue me? Is that all?"

A look of skepticism appeared on Kyoko's face. And rightfully so; this plan is more complicated than she could even imagine.

"Yes. You're the only thing that matters to me."

Kyoko gave me a smile, but then her expression shifted instantly.

"So you're not involved with this Killing Game, at all?"

Kyoko's gaze pierced through my eyes. Her cold and stoic expression was unwavering as she tried, and failed, to read me.

She's cute when she's determined.

She still didn't know the suspect behind this Killing Game. So in typical detective fashion, she didn't trust anyone unless they were innocent.

I wouldn't say I was _innocent_ , but I did have no part in setting up this game.

"Kazuo Tengan was the one who set this up."

"How do you know this?"

Kyoko's expression was unchanged as she continued to throw questions at me.

"I contacted Tengan with a proposition - one last fight between Hope and Despair. I wanted to be rid of this conflict forever so we could live together in peace. Even though Tengan agreed, he followed his own plan, taking me out of the picture. I had to rely on... unforeseen measures to ensure your safety."

Kyoko nodded slowly, trying to make sense of my explanation.

"I see... Koichi?"

Hm? I scrunched my face in confusion. I never saw Koichi save her...

I suddenly felt a moment of intense panic, even though I knew everything was alright.

"No, it was not him... What did he do?"

"He trapped Juzo with the spear you used, and he sacrificed himself to save me from falling down that trap door."

Kyoko motioned towards the gap in the center of the room, which made more sense now. Who knew Koichi would do such things...

Then again, his relationship with Kyoko's father could have spurred his actions. Otherwise, Kyoko would be dead and my plan would have failed. And it wouldn't have even been my fault, because _I_ wasn't the one who was assigned to protect her...

Monaca picked the absolute _worst_ time to lose control of her robot... This is the fruit of her incompetence. She fully deserved this chance for failure, and so did I for trusting her...

Luck was on our side _this_ time. But you can't rely on luck, because you never know who else luck favors.

I clenched my fist in anger. This journey has been full of mistakes and incompetence, of recalculations and tension, of stress and unpredictability.

But I was here now. I was in the position to take matters into my own hands. And without having to rely on anyone else, the rest of this mission would be as simple as killing a wild chicken on Jabberwock Island.

I pulled Kyoko close to me again, thankful that she was alive.

"I'm here now... I'll protect you... We'll be together from now on..."

"Izuru..." Kyoko said, her voice muffled in my jacket, tears forming in her eyes.

"I love you."

Kyoko looked up at me, eyes wavering in relief and awe.

"I love you too."

We hugged again, my head resting next to hers, on her shoulder. I wished that moment could last forever, but I had a job to do. A job that would ensure we _could_ have moments like these forever.

After a couple long seconds, I released my arms and stepped away, startling Kyoko. She looked up at me quickly, and with curiosity, her large purple eyes pleading that I don't leave her again.

"We've been living too long in the shadows of Hope and Despair, blotting out the view of a life without them. Blinding us from the Ambivalence that could be our future."

Kyoko stared at me with determination.

"Are you willing to give up your life of Hope to follow me on the path of Ambivalence?"

Kyoko nodded in an instant, "Yes. As much as it _is_ my duty to foster Hope as a member of the Future Foundation, I can make my own decisions. And I know very well that decisions are not just made with your brain. They're made with your heart also."

I nodded and smiled at her. Exactly as I expected...

"Then it's decided. I will finish this game once and for all, and eliminate both Hope and Despair from our lives."

I began walking toward the room's exit to head deeper into the building, but Kyoko gave me a somewhat skeptical look. I turned towards her as she spoke.

"This game isn't your responsibility. You found a way to enter this building. I believe there's nothing stopping us from leaving the way you came from."

I tensed up. She didn't understand the complexity of my plan...

This was just like last time...

"They'll follow us for sure. We may have a clear path to paradise, but it won't be long before the members of the Future Foundation start having questions about this Killing Game... With the real mastermind dead, they'll be hungry for suspects. And I would be their biggest target. They wouldn't stop until I was caught and interrogated..."

Kyoko nodded her head slowly in understanding, trying to piece together my logic.

"Do you want to live like that? Always having to hide from the very organization you used to work for? If that life was for you, we'd both be back in my hideout living happily right now."

I could tell she was reminiscing back to the days in her book, but when she spoke up, her expression was determined and her words were stiff and quick.

"What's the alternative?"

"Both you and I are too entangled in our movements. We are paragons of Hope and Despair. The only way that we can live in peace and Ambivalence is if we eliminate both of them entirely. And the only remnants I have to deal with are the ones wandering around in this building, simply waiting to die."

Kyoko's eyes widened as she realized what my plan truly was. She must be concerned for her friends. But Makoto and Aoi - just like the rest of them - had to go.

"So you're going to kill them? That's our escape?"

"Yes. I will be relieving them of their lives of conflict."

Kyoko didn't respond for a few seconds after that. She seemed very pensive...

"I won't be long" I said, as I continued walking closer towards the door, my steps echoing throughout the room.

At that very moment, Kyoko spoke up. Her words pierced through my body like a dagger; sharp, cold, and unsuspected. They stopped me in my tracks.

"You haven't changed at all, have you?"


	14. Change

I looked back at her, confused. I didn't understand the reasoning behind such a statement.

Of course I changed. I'm no longer a brainless zombie uselessly following Despair.

"Hm?" I said, signaling that she needed to elaborate. But Kyoko knew exactly what she was going to say.

"You want Ambivalence, yet Despair has been blinding you. You still aren't fully rid of it."

I turned my body back towards her and assumed the dominant position. It angered me that she would question my strategy.

It seems she didn't change, either...

I needed to finish this argument quickly if my plan would have any hope of succeeding. It shouldn't take long, though.

"Kyoko... you don't understand. This plan I made... It has nothing to do with Despair. Or Hope. I'm doing this for _myself_. For _us_. To preserve our future."

Kyoko kept her determined composure and retaliated with her own response.

"It doesn't matter what your plan is for, it's still wrong. Killing people is _wrong_."

Now she's questioning the morality of the situation... using the subjective term 'wrong'...

I raised my voice a bit, and began walking towards her. This is a complete waste of time...

"Why is it 'wrong'? You have no authority to tell me what's 'right' and what's 'wrong'. That's for everyone to decide themselves."

Kyoko's eyes began to lighten up, as she displayed a more compassionate expression, yet still confident.

"It's _wrong_ because they don't deserve to die. What have they done to warrant their death? Being a detective, I know full well murder should not be taken so lightly. The motive behind-"

I stopped her mid sentence. This has already gone on long enough. My voice raised into a growl, fed up with her useless arguments. Nothing else matters... Except for us. Except for our future... Their lives are meaningless pieces of detritus... That's what Ambivalence _is_. Not caring what happens to them.

"Kyoko, they're in our way. There's no escaping that fact. Everyone who stands between us and our future must be eliminated."

Kyoko began pleading with me, placing her fist above her heart, her eyes wide and wavering.

"But surely there's another way! Another way to end the conflict without killing them... Please..."

"No. There isn't."

"But-"

" _No, you're wrong_!"

I yelled at her in my rage, not realizing the volume my own voice. Kyoko's eyes widened in shock as she was taken aback, and it looked like tears were starting to form. It almost pained me to see her like this...

Reactively, I lowered my voice drastically and calmed down. Maybe I _did_ take it too far...

"This is the only way..." I said, slowly

After a couple seconds of silence, tears began flowing from Kyoko's now closed eyes.

"Izuru... what I'm trying to say... is that you've been following the path of Despair inadvertently this whole time... It's blinding you... Wanting to kill... Having no desire to see any other possibilities..."

I stared at her as she spoke her words with conviction. Nothing she's said so far has had this much emotion, this much power behind it...

Kyoko then opened her eyes and stared at me, giving an angry yet emotional voice, trying to hold back her tears.

"That's not the Izuru I want to be with! I captured you because I thought that, maybe, you'd change... I thought you'd finally give up Despair, so we could live together, away from it... but it seems you won't give it up even now...

Back then, I was ready to give up almost _everything_ for you! I _still_ am. But you aren't. You haven't changed at all..."

Despite the tears, Kyoko tried to keep her eyes open for as long as she could, looking straight into mine. Yet after a couple seconds, she gave in and started convulsively crying.

What...

I haven't changed... at all...

That's... That's not possible... I gave up on Despair as soon as I woke up from the Neo World Program... I vowed I'd never let Despair back in...

Right?

I still didn't see what was wrong with my actions, or what was so Despairful about them. But that's the point. Like Kyoko said, maybe it _has_ been blinding me. Maybe some of the Despair from back then managed to seep inside me... And I couldn't see it myself...

Even if I _was_ right and killing a few worthless people wasn't Despair-inducing at all, it wasn't just about the action. It was about the consequences as well. If Kyoko noticed even a hint of Despair in me now, who knows what that could snowball into in the future...

It isn't just the Despair, either. It's also my ignorance of others. It's understandable for someone as talented as myself, someone who's used to doing work perfectly without having to deal with others. Yet, that's why it's so difficult to overcome. This stubbornness is what got Kyoko to capture me in the first place, because we couldn't compromise. And now it's causing problems again... I couldn't see what was happening to me...

My mind flashed to Monaca. I was ignorant with her, too... Always forcing my perspectives, my thoughts onto her... despite her constant pleas that we should rethink our plan. I should have realized that I was treating her like this sooner...

She should be on Jabberwock by now. I wonder how she's doing...

But that's neither here nor there. Kyoko was standing in front of me, and I needed to do _something_. I've never seen her this emotional. Desire, pleading, longing... emotions rarely shown by a detective of her caliber. She must really be concerned for me, and for our future, if I continue to act the way I do. She wanted me to change... To throw away the Despair, the ignorance... I needed to try my hardest to fulfill her request.

My actions _may_ be sane, to me. But if there's any risk at _all_ of giving in to Despair, then I should seriously consider my options before making a decision.

I didn't know _how_ else we'd secure our future without my carefully calculated plan, so Kyoko and I had our work cut out for us.

I slowly walked over to Kyoko, who was still lightly crying, and I hugged her softly. Her face nestled into my chest, shaking slightly from her crying, tears running down my shirt. After a couple seconds, she stopped, and looked up at me with red, teary eyes, unsure of how to respond to my action.

"I'm sorry... I understand now..."

It seemed like a heavy burden was lifted off Kyoko, her expression lightening and her body growing less tense.

"But nothing else would work... Killing them all was the most reliable solution... Everything else had irredeemable flaws..."

Kyoko acknowledged my response and looked at me in thought, her eyes trailing off after a couple seconds.

"There is one other way... What if..."

Immediately her expression stiffened, and she stood upright, pulling away from me. She put her hand to her chin, in typical detective style, and she narrowed her eyes. I released my arms and stared at her, as the gears in her head began turning. She shifted her composure so quickly...

I expected nothing less of her. She's grown since that fateful day when we first met.

Kyoko turned back sharply and glared at me with confidence, once her thoughts were in order.

"I have a plan that could very well get us out of here, _without_ having to rely on Despair."

Hm... What sort of plan could she be thinking of... And will it work?

Kyoko seemed very sure of herself, but her words expressed uncertainty. All plans _could_ work, but I couldn't just settle for _any_ plan.

I am Izuru Kamukura. Izuru Kamukura has no tolerance for error. Monaca has already shown me how much imperfection can ruin a plan... This plan didn't deserve to make it this far.

Even so, I won't risk my future with anything but a guaranteed solution.

"How sure are you that this plan will work?"

Kyoko's composure dampened a bit, leaking some of the uncertainty I noticed.

"Provided everything goes as planned... Yes, it will work."

But I couldn't agree to a plan that's more prone to failure than the one I had all along...

I raised my voice slightly in unsettlement, "You have to be _sure_. I can't trust uncertainty."

With Kyoko's surprised expression, I lowered it again. I needed to remember that I shouldn't force my ideas onto others... Hopefully she'll understand...

"I've had to deal with so much incompetence on this journey... I've had to fix so many mistakes... Why should I follow another plan when I can execute mine flawlessly?"

Kyoko contemplated my response, and then nodded her head.

"My plan may be more complicated, yes. But it'll save their lives. I believe the tradeoff is worth it."

"Kyoko, anything other than killing them all... would result in unforeseen consequences... If they died, there would be nothing leftover from our old lives... there would be nothing to stop us from moving on together...

This plan that you have... You're accounting for this, too? There's so much that can go wrong with leaving them alive... That's why it's easier to just kill them..."

Kyoko didn't even bother to acknowledge my response, and immediately asked me a question.

"Izuru. Do you trust me?"

Trust... It all comes down to this...

It's so difficult to trust others when their incompetence is in the way... First, the Remnants not being able to care for themselves on the island... Then, Monaca not being able to execute my plan... And now, Kyoko almost getting us both killed by Juzo Sakakura...

I loved Kyoko. But trust is another issue. Her previous actions should be enough for me to ignore her request and fulfill my own plan, but she already pointed out flaws with that. That I'd grow closer to Despair. That I wouldn't truly 'change' if I never learned the fault of my actions...

There were two conflicting opinions in my head now. And for the first time in a while, I didn't know which one was correct.

"I _want_ to... But when there's a chance of failure... it seems suboptimal..."

Kyoko began begging again, albeit with less emotion and more logic this time.

"Izuru, you _need_ to trust me. The possibility for failure is less important, because even if we succeed, we need to be able to work together and trust each other if we want to live together. If you can't trust me right now, then how can I ever trust you? How will I ever trust that you'll follow the path of Ambivalence you mentioned, if you won't even help me pull you away from the path of Despair?"

Her logic _was_ sound... It was understandable for her to be concerned about our future. Yet no matter how much sense her argument made, my mind constantly nagged me to just walk away. It was like a piece of candy sitting in your pocket. You never really could forget about it; it would continually taunt you to satisfy yourself and eat it. There was no escaping-

My eyes widened again as I made the connection.

It was exactly like the voice in my head on that first day on Jabberwock... The voice that pulled me away from Hope as soon as I chose to follow it... The voice that stopped me from turning myself back into Hajime Hinata...

The voice that begged me to ignore the Remnants and to convince Tengan to enact a plan filled with Despair... All in the name of Ambivalence...

I thought I changed, but I was still the same Izuru Kamukura that I was before I entered that damn machine... I thought my plan wasn't wrong, that it was perfectly sane, but that was probably a result of the voice too...

I cursed at myself silently, still in disbelief that I didn't come to this conclusion sooner... I looked down at my outstretched, trembling hands, as if they've been tainted...

The thought of even slightly falling back into Despair scared me. To think that it's _this_ easy, _this_ unnoticeable to actually tread down this path...

The flashbacks, the Despair filled flashbacks, triggered again, and I closed my eyes and tried to control my thoughts. They swirled in my mind, and beckoned me to return to my old life. I could hear her voice... Junko Enoshima's voice... clearly in my head as if she was the very woman standing next to me...

 _Isn't this world of preexisting harmony boring?_

No...

 _Only Despair can save you! Only I can!_

Stop...

I threw myself into a silent rage, angry at myself for allowing Despair to invade me, both then and now.

I've been so focused on this plan... That I haven't taken the time to observe myself and my actions... That I fell back to the state I was in _before_ I entered that machine... All thanks to that voice in my head that won't quite go away...

Was it a product of Junko and her lasting influence? Or of the experiment Hope's Peak performed on me, changing my brain? Or was it something else entirely, that caused me to end up like this...

At least I understand what's happening to me now... I'm no longer blind to it...

And I can change. I can follow the path of Ambivalence to the fullest, with Kyoko by my side.

I know those Despairful voices are there, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with them or listen to them. That doesn't mean they know what's right for me. Even if there's no avoiding them, I need to make my own choices or else I'll end up exactly like I was before...

I need to take back control of my life from who I used to be.

After a couple seconds, I relaxed my composure and responded to Kyoko, who was growing both nervous and impatient.

"I trust you. Let's work together so we can take our first steps on the path of Ambivalence."

Kyoko nodded, smiling at me. She looked very relieved at my answer. I was too.

Now that that was overwith, only one thing remained.

"So, what is this plan of yours?"

* * *

Flying... Flying...

Hey, what's that over there? Is that it?

Is that Jabberwock Island, where Monaca has to go?

According to the map... that's it! Monaca was almost there!

Monaca turned her super space van towards the island, with a smile on her face!

She did exactly what Kamukura Senpai told her to do. Which was to tell Big Sis Komaru and Scissor Girl that she gave up, and then fly off into space. Once Monaca was suuure she wasn't being followed, she switched directions!

Heehee... They think Monaca's in space...

Once Monaca lands on Jabberwock, she'll visit Kamukura Senpai. He'll be so proud of Monaca for following directions! Especially because Monaca didn't follow them last time...

But that didn't count! Kamukura Senpai's plan was bad! He wanted Monaca to kill people. Monaca didn't even wanna kill people!

And he tried to boss Monaca around, too! Because he didn't think Monaca knew what she was doing!

 _Monaca, do this! Monaca, do that! Monaca, kill Makoto Naegi! Monaca, use your super cool robot wheelchair thingy to protect my girlfriend_!

Hmpf. Monaca puffed her cheeks out. Kamukura Senpai can sure be stuck up sometimes... He even made Monaca cry! And that's mean!

But he's still Monaca's favorite! He's the big brother Monaca always wished she had! He can do whatever he wants because he's so strong, and he knows evvvverything. Unlike that useless Haiji... Monaca couldn't wait until she got to see Izuru again - especially with his girlfriend!

Hm... Monaca wonders what else would be on Jabberwock Island! It's supposed to be deserted...

Wait! Monaca hacked into the Future Foundation! Monaca has data about the island!

Monaca looked through her files, and there it was! Jabberwock Island... Location of the Neo World Program... Where the Remnants of Despair would be sent so they could embrace Hope...

So there're more people on that island? Monaca wonders what they'll be like...

Will they be like Kamukura Senpai? Or will they still be full of Despair?

Monaca shrugged and continued flying. She was really close now! She could see a metal-looking building near the middle of the island, and some huts near the beach. There was a fire near, and four people sitting around it.

Those people stood up and looked with surprised faces as Monaca started landing. They were probably admiring Monaca's super space van! It can fly, drive, hold snacks, _and_ be Monaca's bedroom all at once!

The landing was a liiiiittle bumpy, so Monaca was tossed around a bit. But once the van stopped moving, Monaca took a deeeep breath and opened the back door to reveal herself! Monaca had to make a good first impression, so she put her hands on her hips and looked at the four older kids standing there, who seemed confused.

One of them was super short, one was wearing a cute dress, one had super weird pink hair, and the other had big-

"Who the fuck are you?" the tiny man spoke.

Hey, that's not very nice! He didn't care about Monaca...

But then, Monaca instantly remembered her old philosophy!

 _Pitiful children are the most powerful_...

It wouldn't work on Kamukura Senpai because he's too smart, but these people don't look as smart as him.

Monaca put on her reeeally sad face, like she was about to cry. Monaca needed to get the others on her side...

And it worked! The other three of them looked like they wanted to help Monaca!

"Fuyuhiko! Do not curse! She is only a child!" the girl wearing the princess dress said.

"Yeah, don't be so mean!" Mr. Pink Hair scolded. The tiny man shied back a bit.

"Th-thank you... For such a tiny man, you sure do have a big mouth..." Monaca said, as cute as Monaca could! Then, Monaca walked right over to the four of them.

"Tiny man- You're even smaller than me!" he yelled.

Monaca smirked.

"Yeah, but even though you're bigger, your face looks like a baby's!"

Hehehe... That made him _reeeally_ mad!

"A baby's face... I'll show you..."

While Monaca was giggling, the tiny man reached in his pocket, but he didn't find anything! The look on his face when he realized... Heehee...

"I forgot. That bastard stole my knife."

The princess spoke up, "Fuyuhiko! Again!"

The other girl scowled at him, too.

"Hey, cool it, will ya? We haven't even introduced ourselves and you're already makin' things rough. I'm Akane Owari. Nice to meetcha!"

Monaca turned to her, finally seeing her up close. Her chest... Monaca was so curious, she couldn't help but stare!

"Wow... They're so big... How do you hold them up like that?"

The girl's face got red, and she smiled while scratching the back of her head.

"Uh, well..."

"She's, uh, very blunt, I see... Anyways, I'm Soda. Kazuichi Soda." Mr. Pink Hair interrupted.

Monaca didn't look at him. She couldn't move her eyes!

But then the princess got in the way! Hmpf...

"My name is Sonia Nevermind. It is my pleasure."

She smiled gracefully, so Monaca couldn't help but smile as well. She was so nice... Unlike that meanie tiny man...

He didn't bother introducing himself, until the princess nudged him with her elbow.

"The name's Fuyuhiko..." the boy grumbled. "Fuyuhiko Kuzuyruu..."

"What is your name, little girl?" the princess asked.

Monaca smiled and threw her hands in the air.

"Monaca is called Monaca! Monaca Towa!"

"Towa... That sounds familiar..." Boob lady said.

Of course it should sound familiar. Towa City is super famous! And so is Monaca!

"Wait. The radio from before... It showed Towa City..." Mr. Pink Hair said

"Yup! That's where Monaca's from!"

All of a sudden, the princess's face turned pale.

"But... That place was being overrun with Monokumas, was it not?"

So they _did_ hear about it! Monaca smiled and nodded her head quickly!

"Mhm!"

"So you're with Despair? You want our help? Is _that_ it?" the tiny man asked condescendingly.

Hey! Monaca doesn't like your language... Especially if you're not even assuming right...

Monaca gave up on Despair, just like Kamukura Senpai did! But... did they give up on it, too?

"Nope! Despair is bad! Monaca doesn't like Despair anymore..."

The princess sighed softly, "Good. Us too."

Monaca smiled in relief. These people were on her side!

Well... maybe not Tiny Man... He continued to question Monaca with his annoying, snobby voice...

"Sooo, if you're not here for Despair, then what _are_ you here for? And don't tell me you were just _flyin' around_ and decided to take a pit stop..." tiny man interjected.

Monaca was getting fed up with him! So she decided to use her pitiful girl power again.

"Hey! Stop... Being... Mean... To... Monaca!"

Tiny man was taken aback by Monaca's planned tantrum, and the other three looked concerned for Monaca.

"Monaca, everything will be all right. He will not talk anymore." the princess said, glaring at tiny man. "Please, tell us why you are here, and if there is anything we can do to help."

Monaca's tantrum got her point across, so she stopped quickly.

"Well, Kamukura Senpai told me to come here."

"Kamukura... Senpai? Who's that?" Mr. Pink Hair asked

After the princess thought about it for a second, her eyes lit up.

"Izuru..."

"Yup, that's him!" Monaca smiled.

"Izuru?... _Oh_! You mean Hajime! Yeah, he left. He stole some lifeboat from the Future Foundation and now he's got a fleet of ships followin' him..." Boob Lady said.

Whaaa Kamukura Senpai left? Did he go pick up his girlfriend _this_ early?

Hmpf. Monaca _reeeally_ wanted to see him... Oh, well. It'll have to wait till later.

"Oh, ok. Monaca can wait till he gets back with his girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Tiny Man asked

Hmpf! Monaca thought he wouldn't talk anymore! Monaca gave him a sharp glare and pouted a little.

"W-well, Monaca, we have an extra hut for you if you wish to stay with us until he arrives." the princess said.

"No thanks! Monaca has her super space van to sleep in! It's got a TV and lights and snacks, too!"

"S-snacks? You mean, like _food_ snacks?" Boob Lady asked.

"Of course food snacks, silly! Monaca brought enough for a whole month!"

Ew! Boob Lady started drooling... And Mr. Pink Hair started looking at Monaca's van...

"C-can we have some?" she asked

Ummmmm... Monaca didn't wanna give any to Tiny Man... But he'd be even more of a meanie if Monaca didn't let him have any of her snacks...

"Sure!" Monaca smiled and threw her hands in the air.

"All right!" Mr. Pink Hair said, as the two of them ran over to Monaca's van and started digging through her snacks.

Tiny Man slowly approached the snacks as well, grumbling to Monaca as he passed her, "Y'know, maybe you're not so bad after all..."

The princess smiled at Monaca when she heard that. Monaca was happy that she was happy. But it didn't seem like the princess was interested in Monaca's snacks... She was just standing there, looking at Monaca.

"U-um, Monaca... Could you tell me about Izuru? What is he doing? And why? He has told me about the path of Ambivalence... Yet he angered the Future Foundation... Why is this?"

I'm sure Kamukura Senpai wouldn't mind. Monaca could talk to the nice princess for hours! She was Monaca's second favorite, obviously behind Kamukura Senpai.

"Sure! So Kamukura-"

"Whoa! You built this van? All by yourself? I'm a mechanic and I can't even _think_ of building something like this..." Mr. Pink Hair yelled from the van.

Monaca can't talk to two people at once! The princess was first!

"Don't... Interrupt... Monaca... While... She's-"

Suddenly, the princess put her warm hand on Monaca's shoulder, making her smile.

"Monaca, we can talk about this later, when everyone else is asleep. Does that sound fine?"

Fine... Monaca didn't want anyone else hearing her story, anyways...

"Ok!" Monaca smiled and nodded, as she ran off towards the van to answer Mr. Pink Hair's questions.

"Yup! Monaca is really good at building things!"

"W-wait, you see this part right here? How'd you connect the computer to control it? And how'd you make it so the van can fly, with all this stuff inside?" Mr. Pink Hair bombarded Monaca with questions. Monaca was happy someone else was so interested in her super space van! The more questions Monaca answered, the more questions Mr. Pink Hair asked!

Monaca thinks she'll like this place...


	15. Preparation

Kyoko began pacing the floor, with her hand on her chin, transforming back into her detective state.

"So according to your explanation, Kazuo Tengan was the one who started this Killing Game?"

"Yes."

"And he's dead. Which means we are the only ones who know the true culprit."

Well, there's also Monaca. But that fact wouldn't matter now. There's no point in bringing it up.

"Yes, everyone who understands the truth is on our side."

"And in order for us to live in peace, we need to prevent the Future Foundation from following us."

"Yes. _Without_ killing them."

Kyoko gave me a look, presumably because of my unnecessary comment. She continued to explain her logic to me.

"What if they thought that Izuru Kamukura, their prime suspect, was dead?"

Hm... I liked where she was going with this... I smirked at her and nodded my head after a few seconds, and she smiled in response.

Without Tengan alive to tell the truth, we can pin the blame on me. And if I was presumed dead, the Killing Game would be over, and all the members of the Future Foundation would go on living their happy lives.

Because Monaca is already dealt with, if we keep the Remnants on Jabberwock Island and eventually convert them, the conflict between Hope and Despair would never rise again. With no Despair to challenge, Hope would dwindle down to nothing. And then the world would know true equilibrium. True peace.

This plan _does_ achieve the same end result as my original one, but as we've discussed, there are more chances for error. I have to make sure she performs the setup correctly, to the last detail...

"And how would you do that?" I asked

"A fake corpse. I'd tell them I killed you right after you killed Juzo, and they'd see it with their own two eyes."

"Yes, but it has to be perfect. If they doubt you for a second, they'd assume I was still alive. And they'd also assume that you were my accomplice. They'd pursue both of us."

Kyoko glared at me, apparently fed up with my negativity.

"Izuru, you already agreed to trust me, so you can't complain. But it _will_ be perfect. I'm a detective. I've been around my fair share of corpses. And I _have_ experience examining faked deaths before. Remember Mukuro Ikusaba?"

Right. Junko's last-ditch attempt to win her Killing Game involved disguising her sister Mukuro as herself, killing her sister off, and then using Mukuro's body as a fake corpse in order to create confusion. And the five of them saw right through her plan, mostly thanks to Kyoko.

Which meant that we were the two most qualified people to fake someone's death. It _was_ , in fact, perfect.

I nodded to Kyoko's comment, "Yes. There's no one better for this job than us."

Kyoko smiled and closed her eyes, "We'll do it the right way. Unlike Junko."

I grinned as well. How fitting, that the act that would prove my freedom from Despair would also prove my dominance over the Ultimate Despair.

Let's do this.

"Enough of this, we should hurry. The longer we wait, the less believable my death would be."

"True. First, I'll need you to go down there."

Kyoko pointed at the pit in the center of the room. I gave her a strange look, so she elaborated.

"We can't use your body, so we'll be using Koichi's. He's close to your body type."

Yes. They'll be able to detect my breathing, no matter how hard I try. Koichi's body would be a suitable substitute. But...

"How will you make his body look like mine? That is surely no easy task. We do have two witnesses who can confirm that they saw me fighting in this room, but that does not indicate that my corpse would be there."

Kyoko gave me a dumbfounded look, as if I should know this already.

"I don't need to. Koichi smokes, does he not?"

"Yes. And?"

"That _means_ he carries a lighter on him. I'll use it to burn his body so no one can tell who it is. If I learned one thing from the Mukuro case, it's that severely burned bodies are almost indistinguishable."

"Yes, that is true, but it didn't answer my question. If the body could be anyone, how will everyone else know that Izuru Kamukura, the one behind this whole incident, has died?"

"Oh."

Kyoko nodded and walked up to Fuyuhiko's knife that was laying on the ground. She knelt down slowly and picked it up. She tossed it in the air lightly before speaking.

"Remember that day when you awoke from the Neo World Program? When I was about to leave the island, I turned around and I saw you standing up on the mountain. How did I know that was you, from that far away?"

Yes, she's right... There _is_ one distinguishing feature that everyone would recognize as Izuru Kamukura...

"My hair..."

"I'll cut your hair off, and attach it to the corpse."

I nodded my head slowly. This was going better than I expected... But we're not finished yet. Not by a long shot. There's so much else to discuss, not to mention the most obvious impediment to getting Koichi's body...

"How am I getting down there?"

"Simple. You'll use this."

Kyoko reached in her bag and pulled out some caution tape. She stretched it out and pulled on it tightly to show its strength.

"A detective is always prepared. You can use this to rappel down the walls of the pit."

Kyoko walked over to the doorknob, and tied the tape around it. After ensuring the knot was sturdy enough, she tossed the roll of tape to me.

But I wouldn't go down yet. Not until we finished talking about the plan.

"Not yet. We shouldn't be so quick to act." I said, "So we've faked a believable corpse. Now how do we fake a believable death? How would someone kill the Ultimate Ultimate? Not to mention the burning of the body has to be a part of the murder."

Kyoko sighed, "Izuru, I have everything under control."

"Still, I would like to know."

Kyoko shook her head playfully and began her explanation.

"Here's how it'd happen."

Kyoko walked past Sakakura and to the leftmost bookcase. She pointed to the area a couple feet in front of it.

"Izuru Kamukura would be _here_ , looking at the man he just killed, while I would be _here_ , next to the bookcase. He'd be distracted, as the fight with Juzo took up too much of his attention, so I would have a free shot. What could the physically incompetent Kyoko Kirigiri do to combat Izuru? From this position, there's only one option."

She pointed to the bookcase.

"I would shove down this bookcase right on top of him. The weight of a certain falling book would knock him out for some time, unbeknownst to me. In a panic, and needing to deal with him quickly, I would take Koichi's lighter and toss it on the books, causing a fire. And causing the burned corpse we want."

Kyoko smirked at her plan, and I couldn't help but smirk as well.

"How would you get the lighter?"

"Koichi would've dropped it inadvertently when he reached down to rescue me from the pit."

I nodded slowly, "Good enough..."

Kyoko pointed above her head, and continued.

"Then, the sprinklers would notice the fire, and start up. The fire would be put out, and I'd put Fuyuhiko's knife in the corpse's back just for good measure. And then I'd need to find the power room..."

Oh. It seems she's figured it out too.

I pointed towards the secret exit, "The power room is right on the inside of the secret exit. Turn off the power, and everyone's bracelets would fall off."

Kyoko nodded, "Well, that's convenient. We'd need to remove Koichi's bracelet, as well as assert to everyone the fact that this Killing Game is over. To ensure they believe that Izuru was the cause, I would project myself over the intercom from the power room explaining that because I killed Izuru, the game is over. Then I'd pull the power, remove Koichi's bracelet, ensure everyone gets out safely, and the rest is simple."

"And this whole time, I'd be..."

"Hiding in the pit until after everyone leaves. We can't risk anyone seeing you. Afterwards, I'd bring your body in a bag to Jabberwock Island to 'bury you'."

It seems she _did_ think of everything... This plan might actually get us out of here...

Wait. There's one last thing.

Kyoko began walking around in preparation, but she stopped and turned to me when I spoke.

"What about Ryota's Hope Video? We can't let that survive."

Kyoko squinted her eyes in confusion, "What's that?"

"Kazuo Tengan wanted to push Ryota to the brink of Despair, so that he would use the Hope Video he recently finished and project it to the world. We _can't_ let that happen, or else Ambivalence is out of the question."

Kyoko nodded, and began thinking.

"So this video... Where is it located?"

"It would be on his phone. He uses his phone for everything."

"So we'd need to find a way to disable his phone, while not making it obvious that we wanted to do so..."

This was perhaps the hardest problem of them all... Ryota always carried his phone on him, so dealing with it without dealing with him wasn't easy... But we couldn't risk anything at this point. If he displayed that video, and Hope comes back, then Despair would come back too... Which would mean more trouble for us...

I ran through all the options in my head... And something stuck out to me. I looked down towards the pit.

"It seems Koichi helped us more than we expected."

"Hm?" Kyoko prodded.

"We'll re-arm one of his traps, the one that was used to attack Juzo. You'd get him to take out his phone, and then you'd trigger the trap and hit only his phone. The video would be destroyed."

It wasn't the best, because the chances of a stray trap triggering were low, but we weren't getting better than this. Kyoko smiled, satisfied with my proposal.

"Yes, that should work fine."

"However... This will require precision. If we miss, then we've lost. Are you fine with that?"

Kyoko nodded confidently, "You say that like you don't trust me."

I shrugged and winked at Kyoko, "I'm only ensuring you understand the risks of the plan. I could always kill him instead..."

Kyoko chuckled a bit, revealing the true lightheartedness that was underneath her detective guise. It's refreshing to know that even under all this pressure, she doesn't get lost in it.

"I think I'll be fine."

"Good. I believe that's everything, then."

I walked over to the side of the pit, and grabbed the caution tape. I let myself down slowly, and before I was out of view, I took one last look at Kyoko, admiring her beauty in her focused detective state. It was _this_ Kyoko that I fell in love with, the one who would let nothing get past her duties. She eventually noticed my staring, and began blushing a bit. I grinned.

"I'll be back."

Kyoko nodded, and I began rappelling down the pit. After a minute, I reached the bottom, where Koichi's body lied. I couldn't quite see his face, but I could tell where it was as I felt around to lift him up. The stench and lifeless feel of a dead corpse permeated through the pit. It didn't bother me, as I was used to it. And so was Kyoko.

Before I picked Koichi up, however, I turned his face towards mine. This man has inadvertently done so much for me... Saving Kyoko on numerous occasions, especially when Monaca couldn't help...

Despite Monaca's incompetence, that wasn't entirely her fault. It was partially mine for allowing our views to conflict. Yet, the plan still stayed on course and here I am, at the climax. It's surprising that I made it so far, maybe it was just my Ultimate Luck. Maybe it's just meant to be...

Wait... Speaking of fate...

Yasuhiro's crystal ball... Was I... Was I on _that_ path?

...

No, now's not the time to question that. I lugged Koichi over my one uninjured shoulder and ensured his lighter was in his pocket. Lastly, I picked up the spear from his trap and used my free hand to carry it. With everything accounted for, I began my ascent up the pit.

Koichi, you've already done so much... And now you're our ticket to Ambivalence...

Quite an honor indeed.

I reached the top of the pit quickly despite the corpse's weight; I didn't want to keep Kyoko waiting. She stopped tinkering with Koichi's trap when she saw me. I shoved the body onto the floor, and threw the spear not too far away, displaying signs of strain. Once I had more time, I'd be able to fix my shoulder and recuperate my other wounds. But that wasn't now. We barely even had enough time for this plan alone...

I reached in Koichi's pocket and took out the lighter. I tossed it to Kyoko, who caught it lightly.

"You'll need this."

Kyoko nodded, and walked over towards Koichi's body. She began arranging the fake murder, as I ensured Koichi's spear trap was set up correctly. Once I finished, I walked over to her.

"Everything is ready. _This_ panel sets off the spear trap, so make sure no one triggers it except for you."

I pointed at a section of the ground, clearly visible as a trap now because of all the fighting.

"Ok." Kyoko said, "I'll need your hair."

Yes, that's right... I knelt down next to the bookcase, with my back towards Kyoko. She ran her hands through my silky black hair, presumably to prepare to cut it, but I knew it was something more.

"Don't worry; it grows back quickly."

"It doesn't hurt to enjoy it while I can."

I chuckled, but we did need to hurry. Any second, someone could bust open that door and our plan would immediately fail...

"Yes, but we don't have time for this."

Kyoko sighed lightly and agreed, "Alright..."

Kyoko began cutting my hair swiftly. It felt similar to before, yet different. This time, it truly felt like I was shedding my previous life, and that I would never go back. This hair, a Remnant of my former Despair-filled self, was being separated from me once again.

I wouldn't be disappointed if it didn't grow back.

As to who was a better barber, Kyoko or Sonia, I could not say. My haircut was the least of my concerns now. Once Kyoko was finished, she placed the strands of hair on Koichi's corpse and used the lighter to burn the edges in place.

It was time...

I walked back over to the caution tape and grabbed it, ready to rappel down the pit once again. Kyoko was still staring at the corpse, almost as if she was in a trance. I didn't quite know if she was ready, but she had to be...

"Kyoko" I said, causing her head to jolt up quickly and turn towards mine.

"I love you."

It needed to be said; it would help her focus. And there's always the possibility that the plan would backfire and we'd never get the chance to tell each other again...

Kyoko smiled and blushed, as she stared at me with her deep, wavering eyes.

"I love you too."

After a quick grin, I began my second descent. I'd be spending some time down here, and I didn't know for how long. I shrugged. I didn't mind the darkness. You're either scared of it, a part of it, or you just don't care. In my life, I've experienced all three.

I reached the bottom and sat down on the floor, and I could feel Koichi's dried blood. The pit felt strangely empty without him...

I looked up and I could see some light. I wondered how Kyoko would do, but secretly I knew the plan would succeed. I _would_ have wished her good luck, but when you have me and my luck, there's nothing else in the world you need.

I chuckled a bit, placed my arms behind my short-haired head, crossed my legs, and did something I haven't done in a long, long time.

Relax.

* * *

"And then! He said that Monaca had to fly to space and then back here to this island to escape the Future Foundation!"

"I see..."

Everyone else was asleep, so Monaca got to spend some quality time with her favorite princess! It was really cold outside, but Monaca didn't feel it because she was sitting near the fire. And because she was so excited...

Monaca told the princess everything about Kamukura Senpai's plan to destroy Hope and Despair, and to rescue his girlfriend! Monaca made suuuure to talk about his girlfriend! Monaca couldn't wait to see them together...

"So this whole time, when he was pretending to fix the Neo World Program... He was actually organizing this... And talking with you..."

"Yup!" Monaca shook her head yes.

"That makes sense..." the princess said, nodding slowly. She looked up the mountain, "I should not have bothered him about it. I should have known he was up to something important..."

"Yeah, Kamukura Senpai was busy saving the world, one step at a time! It's not easy..."

"His plan... It seems like a happy ending for everyone... Except us."

Monaca was confused. What was she talking about? Monaca tilted her head and asked.

"Whaddaya mean?"

"We _want_ our friends back, Monaca. They are trapped in the Neo World Program. And no matter how hard we tried, we could not convince Izuru to revive them... But he did have his own friends to worry about, so I honestly cannot blame him..."

"Monaca thinks that Kamukura Senpai was just busy. Monaca is sure he cares! You are his friends too, after all!"

The princess let out a long sigh, "I am not so sure..."

She then started to mumble! Like, really, speak a little louder if you want Monaca to hear you!

"...focus on surviving until someone else will... but you should be ready...

Was he talking about..."

"Hey, what are you saying?" Monaca asked nicely. Tantrums only work when there's more than one person...

The princess turned quickly back to Monaca, and she asked Monaca something!

"Monaca, can you do us a favor?"

"Mayyybeeeee... What is it?"

"Can you fix the Neo World Program and rescue our friends? You work so well with machines, I am certain you can find a way to save them! Please... I am not sure how much longer we can survive without them... Gundham was so much of my life...

The princess started crying a little... She must reeeally care about her friends-

"It is not fair! That we have the chance to live and they do not... And that we have to endure this suffering and they do not... Why can't we all be here together..."

Hey! Stop- crying- so- much! You'll put out the fire! Monaca could hear the fire hissing...

But the princess was right; they all should be there together! Otherwise it wouldn't be much of a happy ending... Monaca was sure that Kamukura Senpai wouldn't mind! Even if he didn't want Monaca touching that machine, he'd be so proud of her if she fixed everything all by herself!

And also, Monaca didn't want the fire to go out. Because then it'd be cold.

"Of course Monaca will help! Monaca wants a happy ending for everyone!"

The princess gave Monaca a wide smile, "Thank you, Monaca. Thank you so much..."

Monaca had to smile back, "Monaca is happy to help!"

The princess nodded, and began yawning.

"It is late, Monaca. You should get some rest before you head up the mountain."

Monaca wanted to start as soon as possible, but it was so cold that she couldn't start yet. Hmpf...

It looks like she'd actually have to go sleep...

Monaca smiled and began walking to her van (which was also heated!)

"Good night!"

"Sleep well, Monaca."

Monaca opened the doors to her van, and she welcomed the warm air.

"Er, hi?"

Whaaaa?

It was Mr. Pink Hair! He was laying down, in _Monaca's_ van, playing some of _Monaca's_ games!

"Hey! Get- Out- Of- Monaca's- Van!"

Mr. Pink Hair was taken aback by Monaca's tantrum. He instantly sat up and waved his hands.

"You didn't tell me you had _video games_ here! You've got some I've wanted to play forever! Like this one, MonoFighter 2.0, I think I'm actually getting pretty good at it..."

Mr. Pink Hair paused after both the princess and Monaca gave him concerned looks. And then he started begging!

"Pleeease don't kick me out... It's cold out there... There's enough room in here for more than one person...Right?"

Monaca didn't know what to say. She was a bit annoyed that he used Monaca's stuff without asking first... But Mr. Pink Hair was her friend...

Well, Monaca didn't really wanna go to sleep anyways. She wanted to play video games too!

Monaca smiled, "Well, you'll have to challenge Monaca if you wanna use her van! Monaca is the best at MonoFighter 2.0, so you'll totally lose!"

Mr. Pink Hair chuckled, turning back to the game screen, "You're on! I'll win anyday!"

Monaca jumped into her van and picked up another controller. She grabbed some snacks and went to close the door behind her.

Even though Monaca wasn't going to sleep, the princess was giving her a huge smile. Monaca didn't know why, though...

Whatever. Monaca wanted to play her game! She sealed off her van and scooted forward so she could concentrate on winning! There's no way Mr. Pink Hair could win. Monaca would beat him a hundred times over just to prove she was the best!


	16. Performance

Everything was in place. Our last minute plan to save the lives of everyone in this building was just about to begin.

I stood in the designated position and took a deep breath. It was time.

Using all of my strength, I shoved the bookcase over on top of Koichi's corpse. The sound of books falling filled my ears, a rain of thuds passing by like a short-lived hailstorm. It reminded me of how I felt a half hour ago, when Izuru appeared behind the secret feeling wasn't the same as the one I had before, but anticipation surely was something in common.

I lit Koichi's lighter and jammed it so the flame would continuously burn. I then tossed it onto the pile of books, one of them catching fire immediately. I stood and stared as the whole pile went up in flames.

I smirked and shook my head as I watched the books burn. Of all my predictions about how this Killing Game would turn out... I never expected _this_ one...

But this outcome, provided it works, is one of the better ones that could come out of this game. To think, no one else would have to die...

I slowly raised my wrist and examined the NG Code on my wristband.

 _Passing the fourth time limit with Makoto Naegi alive._

When I first saw my forbidden action, something inside me seized up. I was in complete shock, unable to comprehend the situation that the both of us were in. That we had to solve this mystery quickly, or else one of us would lose our best friend. Of course, I didn't let these feelings show, or else my enemies would have the upper hand.

Now, if this plan succeeds, we'll both make it out of here alive. And it's not only him. Aoi, Ryota, and the rest of the Future Foundation would too. We'd overcome Despair once more. And the best part, was that we'd never have to deal with it ever again.

There would be no more conflict, no more power struggles between Hope and Despair. As soon as these wristbands come off, and everyone is escorted out of this building, there would be peace.

I never thought I'd see this day in my lifetime. In the grand scheme of things, the era of Despair was nothing more than a speck, but from my perspective, it seemed like it would last forever...

I shook my head quickly. Let's not get ahead of myself. This future is all contingent on me perfectly executing the plan.

The fire burned for some time, and the sprinklers snapped on at the sign of smoke. I didn't move from my position, completely ignoring the rain as it pelted me. It was uncomfortable, but quite frankly I didn't care. I had bigger things to worry about.

I wouldn't say I wasn't nervous about this plan. I've surely had my share of risky missions in my days as a detective. Although this should feel no different, this plan was more important than all of those combined. The fate of the world rested in my hands. And my own fate, too... Anyone would feel nervous...

I straightened my back and stared at the pile of books. There wasn't time to feel nervous. There was barely time to prepare the corpse. And as much as I wanted more time, there wasn't any. As a detective, you have to be ready for anything. You have to interpret situations within seconds, and make decisions quickly that would reach your goals. There was no looking back, only moving forward.

The sprinklers slowed to a stop as the whole room and I were dripping wet. I took a deep breath, and walked over to Koichi's corpse. I stuck Izuru's knife in his back, directly over where the heart would be. As much as it _was_ disrespectful to Koichi, it had to be done.

I turned around and walked over to the power room, through the secret exit. I looked around for a microphone, or anything that indicated broadcasting controls. Hm...

I stepped through the room, which was honestly more like a hallway, and found a large number of switches that were all under the label "Power". It seems I should turn those off after I've told everyone what I needed to...

Ah, there it was. The broadcasting switch. It was a somewhat large red button, with a microphone-like receptor to its left. I lifted my hand up to press the button, but I paused for a second. This was it. It was all or nothing with our plan. I needed to maintain my best composure for however long it took...

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, clearing my mind. I moved my face close to the microphone receptor, pressed the red button, and began to speak to everyone inside the headquarters.

"This is Kyoko Kirigiri, in the power room. I should tell you all that this malicious game is finally over. There is no more reason to fight. The threat that has been killing us night after night, our true enemy, Izuru Kamukura... has been neutralized.

I was the one who killed him.

I advise everyone to make their way towards the study, where there is a secret exit, so we all can leave this building and put this experience behind us."

I turned off the broadcast. That wasn't so bad... I hope they didn't detect hesitation when I mentioned that I had killed Izuru. But then again, I _was_ the one who truly 'killed' the old Izuru. He's not the same person now...

I manually flipped all the power switches I could find. The light in the room turned off instantly, soon to be replaced by a dull red emergency light. With the power gone, the monitors could not possibly function, so the _real_ killer was neutralized. My bracelet popped off and clattered as it hit the ground. Good riddance, my wrist has been getting sore... I rubbed it a bit with my hand as I walked back to the study.

I managed to quickly find Koichi's wristband, and I casually threw it down the pit. They couldn't find this, or else the disguise would be blown. I'm sure Izuru wouldn't mind...

I walked over and opened the door. There was no one in sight. At least, not yet.

I chuckled a bit. As much as this _was_ nerve wracking, it was surely exciting to be challenged again. I manned my position and waited for someone to show up.

And, fortunately for me, it wasn't long. Ryota Mitarai stumbled into the room, holding the wall and catching his breath when he got here. He was clearly eager to escape the Despair-filled game that's been running his life for a couple days now.

And who could blame him? He previously worked with Junko Enoshima. He understood firsthand the effects of Despair before this event, and to be constantly reminded of that experience...

Ryota's eyes widened as he saw the corpse lying on the ground with a knife in its back, burnt books scattered everywhere. He quickly turned towards me, who was standing in front of the body, a stoic expression on my face.

"Y-you really killed him? I-Izuru Kamukura is... dead?" Ryota said, eyes trembling.

I leaned down and lifted up some of the corpse's hair to confirm Izuru's 'identity'.

"Yes. He is dead."

Ryota started walking closer to me, speaking slowly, "This... This was my responsibility... Junko Enoshima... Despair... it was all because of me, and what I did... I caused so much pain for others... And what did I do in return?"

Ryota's hands were shaking, and I could see tears forming in his eyes. He _really_ felt like this was all his fault...

He stopped mid-step and looked me straight in the eyes, pointing at the dead corpse of Juzo Sakakura.

"I _ran away_. I let others handle my problems for me... I'm such a coward... I shouldn't have let you convince me to run... And because of that, _he's_ dead-"

"Ryota"

I interrupted him. He's letting Despair take him over, just like Tengan wanted...

It had to stop, if Izuru and I ever wanted a world without both Hope and Despair. That _was_ part of the plan, after all...

"It's not your fault. What you did back then... You didn't know what Junko was planning... You were another one of her victims, as was I... There's no one to blame but Junko herself... You're doing all that you can, banding together with others in the Future Foundation, vowing to never let Despair win again... Which means it's not entirely _your_ battle, either. It's ours too... We're all striving towards the same goal that you are. It didn't matter that you ran away. What really matters is that Izuru is dead. That this game is over. And that Hope has won."

That seemed to calm him down a bit, but I could tell he was still unsettled. Ryota took a couple seconds to respond.

"You say hope has won... But... But isn't there more? More Despair?"

I gave him a confused glance, and tilted my head.

"What do you mean?"

"Yes, Izuru is dead, but what about the rest of the world? Isn't it still in turmoil? Is the war truly over, like you said?"

Hm... Interesting question... I had to make something up quickly...

"Well, with both Junko and Izuru gone, they have no leader. An organization without a leader is destined to fail."

"Are you sure?"

I hesitated for a second, and that gave Ryota enough time to see through me and propose his own plan. Damn...

"Well, we _can_ be sure. With this."

Ryota reached in his pocket and slowly pulled out his phone, which reminded me of what I needed to do: Lure him over here, and unsuspectingly break his phone with Koichi's trap.

"I have a video that will convert the entire world to the side of Hope. With this, we can guarantee that there will never be any more Despair... Besides, it's the least I can do... I still feel responsible for all of this... I'm sure if I was stronger, none of this would've ever happened... I'd never forgive myself if I didn't take this chance right now..."

"Ryota..."

Ryota lifted his phone up, and looked at the screen. His eyes squinted as he presumably saw something unexpected. I felt a slight pang of nervousness at that.

"Huh? It's ringing..."

What? Who could that be...

"Who is it?" I asked sharply.

Ryota started walking closer to me, and I internally grinned. Even though it was unexpected, it could very well be the break I've been looking for.

"It says... Kazuo Tengan. But he's dead, right?"

Interesting... Just a little closer... The spear trap was positioned to shoot around shoulder height, so all I needed to do was request to see his phone, and he'd manually get it into position himself...

"Let me see. Maybe someone else picked up his phone and they're calling you."

Ryota took the last couple steps necessary, lifting his phone so that the both of us could see it. I had to wait for the right time... This had to be precise-

Now.

I took one step towards Ryota, my foot triggering Koichi's spear trap. Suddenly, I heard a noise from the other side of the room, as the spear was thrust from the wall. My eyes widened, but I knew both of us would be safe. Now, to play it off like I didn't know anything...

"Look out!" I yelled towards Ryota, his fear paralyzing him. The spear flew across the room, and hit its target dead on. The spear cracked through the center of Ryota's phone, instantly turning the screen black, the force propelling the phone out of Ryota's hand. Within a second, the spear was back in the wall where it ended up the first time, holding Ryota's newly broken phone hostage.

Ryota, aghast, took a couple seconds to register everything in his head. He turned towards the spear, his phone surging with electricity, which quickly stopped. His hands were shaking, just like before...

"M-my phone..."

"That was close. Thankfully, you weren't hurt. I'm disappointed I didn't notice the trap sooner..."

"H-how will I rid the world of Despair now... Without my phone..."

I looked at Ryota more intently now. The hard part was overwith... Ryota, just give up already...

"I just told you, we already did. There will be no more Despair."

"But... you're not sure of that... are you... Despair will take over again, won't it... And then something like this will happen-"

Enough of this. I needed to snap him out of his Despair now.

I swiftly raised my right hand, and slapped him across the face, the sound of the impact echoing throughout the room. If _that_ didn't get the point across, I wasn't sure what would...

Ryota's eyes widened, surprised at my reaction. He paused for a second, which gave me the chance to speak.

"Ryota... Junko is gone. Izuru is gone. The Remnants are converted. Everything that you're responsible for is resolved. There's nothing else you need to do. And now you're standing here, filled with Despair that the Despair movement will rise again. And we all know that Despair breeds more Despair. Instead of cowering in fear, have Hope that Despair is finally defeated. Have Hope that your journey is finally over, after all this time... We're members of the Future Foundation... Hoping is what we do."

Ryota just stood there, silent, after my long speech. It seems to have sunk in enough...

"Have... Hope..."

Ryota nodded his head lightly, and starting walking towards the exit, ducking under Koichi's spear, keeping silent the entire way.

And as soon as he took his first couple steps out of the study, I heard a noise by the door. What incredible timing...

* * *

"Aw, I lost again?"

Mr. Pink Hair sat defeated in Monaca's van. He stayed up all night trying to beat Monaca - but he never did! Heehee...

"Monaca told you she was the best! That's a hundred an twenty one times in a row!"

"Bet you can't make that a hundred and twenty two!"

Mr. Pink Hair was obviously really sleepy, but he really wanted to win, so Monaca started another game.

But five seconds in, someone opened the van door! Bright sunlight rushed into the van, and it blinded Monaca for a second!

Monaca paused the game and looked backwards, and so did Mr. Pink Hair.

It was the Princess!

"Good morning."

Morning already?

Whatever, that didn't matter to Monaca. She had her Red Bear energy drinks, so she didn't need to sleep!

"Hey Princess, Monaca beat him a hundred an twenty one times in a row!"

Mr. Pink Hair's face got really red, and he slouched back, "You don't have to rub it in..."

"That is good, Monaca... But you really should have gotten some sleep."

"Why's that?"

Monaca tilted her head in confusion.

"You promised me that you'd go save them... That today you'd walk up the mountain and fix the Neo World Program..."

"Mhm! Monaca'll do that!"

"But you must be tired... You stayed up all night..."

Monaca grabbed a Red Bear and finished it off. Silly Princess... Monaca didn't need sleep...

Monaca turned towards the Princess, eye twitching, to show her how awake she was!

"Monaca is wide awake!"

"A-are you sure? You should really just get some sleep."

"Monaca'll be fiiiine!"

Monaca stood up in her van and stumbled towards the exit. Before leaving, she made sure to grab another energy drink - walking up that mountain would be hard work!

After jumping onto the beach, Monaca smiled and took one last look at the Princess.

"Monaca'll be back soon!"

The princess nodded, and Monaca began walking up the mountain! She saw Tiny Man and Boob Lady just waking up as she was leaving. Monaca stuck her tongue out at Tiny Man as she passed. He didn't seem to notice her... Heehee...

Monaca's never walked up a mountain before! Monaca was curious what it'd be like!

But it was pretty boring. Only trees and rocks and plants around. Monaca liked the plants because they were colorful, but everything else was the same. Even the animals were boring because Monaca couldn't play with them! She needed to remember to bring her knife next time...

Monaca eventually made it to the top, finishing off her energy drink. Hiking was tougher than Monaca expected...

At the top of the mountain, she saw a metallic door. That must be the Neo World Program!

Before she entered, Monaca looked down at the rest of the island. Everyone looked like ants from up here! They were so small...

Monaca's eyes sparkled a bit when she saw the view. But she couldn't waste time - the Princess had a job for her.

Monaca opened the door and walked into the room. Monaca felt right at home - metal and machines all around her. She turned on the light to get a better look.

Right in front of her was something broken! Good thing she didn't step on it in the dark... That would hurt Monaca's feet...

Monaca took another look, and she realized something! These pieces looked like a radio...

Was it the radio Kamukura Senpai was using? He _was_ really mad at Monaca the last time they talked...

Monaca felt bad for a second, but then she remembered what she had to do. Monaca hopped over the radio parts and took a closer look at the big machine - the one with people inside! There were a bunch of blue pods that people were sleeping in. Monaca just had to wake them up, right?

Monaca put her hands on one of the blue pods, and pressed her head against it to get a better look inside.

There was a girl sleeping in this one... She was cute and had red hair, but she was pretty skinny...

Monaca walked around to look at everyone else, walking around the machine slowly.

Wait! Isn't that-

Monaca stopped and stared at the man who was sleeping in this pod. He had light yellow hair, a black jacket, and a white shirt.

That guy... He was Monaca's servant! Back when she was working for Despair...

Who knew Monaca would see _him_ here... She was pretty lucky to find her servant. That meant she wouldn't have to do anything herself! Monaca couldn't wait!

Monaca hurriedly looked around for a control panel. After she found it in the back of the room, Monaca walked over there and found the power button.

She was about to press it, but she saw something on the control panel screen!

It was a note! Signed by Kamukura Senpai himself!

Does this count as an autograph?

* * *

I saw Ruruka wobbling into the room, grabbing the doorknob in an attempt to balance herself. She didn't fall over, but her body hit against the door pretty hard, causing her hat to fall off. She seemed like she was in some sort of trance... Her eyes were wide, staring at nothing in particular, and her whole body was shaking... She began muttering something that I could barely hear.

"I was the one... I killed him..."

Ruruka took a couple more steps into the room, thankfully not falling over in the process. However she was still unbalanced...

I ducked under Koichi's spear and began to walk over towards her, so I could help her out of the building. If she lost her balance here, she would be as good as dead. She'd fall into the pit she set up for me.

Wait...

Something wasn't right. Ruruka was staring down the pit, with cold eyes...

I realized in an instant what was happening. My eyes widened, and I started running towards her just as she began to fall forwards.

I hurriedly grabbed Ruruka's arm before her feet left the ground. She slowly looked at me as I dragged her over to the wall and sat her down.

"What..." Ruruka muttered

I looked her in the eye and responded. I wasn't quite sure how to deal with her, yet... I'd just have to stall until I figured it out... Hopefully the same trick that worked on Ryota would work on her...

"There's no reason to take your own life."

"But I killed Sonosuke Izayoi... for nothing..."

"It wasn't your fault. It was Izuru's. He was the one who caused all this. You're just his victim. By forcing you to turn against your friends, he's the one who really killed Sonosuke, not you."

I could tell Izuru was smiling at my lies. He could definitely hear us from down there...

"But I still did it... The look on his face when I poisoned him..."

My eyes focused in on hers, in an attempt to put more power behind my words.

"That doesn't matter anymore. I killed Izuru. There is no more Despair. We'll all have a fresh start, putting this experience behind us."

"But how can I start again... If he's not here with me... There's no reason to live anymore..."

That's right... Those two were close...

At this point, I was at a loss for words. I didn't know how it felt to kill someone you loved - especially because the Izuru that was dead was a fake. And even if I lost Izuru without killing him, I'd still feel devastated. I wouldn't know _what_ would cheer me up after that...

I put my hand on Ruruka's shoulder warmly. Maybe that would help...

"But that's not a reason to die. Everything will be fine, Ruruka. Please trust me."

Ruruka's eyes finally became alive, staring at me. Teardrops began falling down her face, as she finally felt emotion and not just Despair.

"You don't know the pain... You don't know how much it's hurting me..."

She was right - I didn't know. I didn't know how it felt, and I surely didn't know how to save her from it, if there even _was_ a way to save her. I continued to watch her cry, trying vainly to think of a way to get her to change her perspective on life. The things I said to Ryota wouldn't work here... Simply telling her to have Hope didn't seem strong enough, even with the slap... Not that I would ever slap a woman...

"Ruruka"

A voice came from the doorway. A male voice. Ruruka turned towards it, and I did as well. It looks like he came at just the right time... But that's how it always works, anyways... Just when there's no other way out, he shows up.

Standing there was a very familiar friend. Makoto Naegi.


	17. Finale

Makoto Naegi took his first couple steps into the room, walking towards Ruruka. Aoi Asahina appeared soon after, standing in the doorway. His voice was filled with conviction as he knelt down besides me.

"I understand how you feel. I've been through something similar... losing someone close to you... I was devastated that day... I didn't know what to do..."

Ruruka, forcing back tears, stubbornly attempted to counter Makoto's argument.

"You can't understand... _I_ was the one who killed him... It's not the same-"

Makoto interrupted her, still maintaining his confidence. I knew where he was going with this... Honestly, there wasn't anything better to talk about...

"Ruruka, she _betrayed_ me. She would've had me executed, too. But her plan failed, and she was killed before that."

Ruruka grew silent, her tears finally slowing down to a stop, and she stared down Makoto, curious about his story. Makoto gave her a light smile and continued talking.

"Yet even so, that didn't change how I felt about her."

Ruruka's eyes widened, having a sudden realization, and life seeped slowly back into her face. She must feel the same way... I turned towards Aoi, who was standing still, watching the two of us. She remembered that incident very dearly, too... Her eyes were closed, head tilted downwards, hands in fists at her side...

"It's like what Kyoko said, how you're a victim of this Killing Game... She was a victim of Junko's Killing Game as well. I never blamed her for what she did - I only blamed Junko. The real mastermind. Because it was _her_ fault we had to kill each other in the first place. This girl... Sayaka... After her plan failed, and in the seconds before she died, she left us an important clue so we could find her killer... So even though she betrayed me, in the end she still cared...

After a while, I forgave her. I'm sure Sonosuke will forgive you, too. He knows you did it to stay alive in this Killing Game. And you survived. He wouldn't want you killing yourself now."

I smiled at Ruruka, hoping to ease her transition. It seems she finally understood that it wasn't her fault. The look of surprise on her face shifted into a look of longing, as she turned towards the doorway. Even though she accepted her past, it looked like she was still unsure about her future...

"Ruruka, it'll be fine. All you gotta do is keep moving, and everything will get better. After all, it's always worked for me. And that's what Hope is, right?"

I forget the last time I saw Makoto with such enthusiasm, smiling lightheartedly. Ruruka maintained her expression, turning her head back towards Makoto. After a second of complete silence, Ruruka nodded her head.

Makoto gave her a nod as well, picking himself up slowly. I got up as well, taking a couple steps backwards to not be in the way. Makoto reached his hand out to Ruruka to help her up, and she took it. Within seconds, she was back on her feet, standing tall and firm.

"Aoi, could you take Ruruka outside? There's something I need to talk to Kyoko about."

What... What could he possibly mean... Did he...

"Sure thing!" Aoi smiled, bouncing over to Ruruka. The two of them walked slowly around the pit and through the secret exit, towards the moonlight.

Wait. That's it...

Makoto was the only one that knew about my relationship with Izuru. That's why he wants to talk... Hopefully he'll understand my explanation and not pry any further...

Once the two girls left the room, Makoto walked over to the corpse, standing near the secret exit, and knelt down, looking intently at the body. I followed him.

We were _so close_... We didn't have room for any of this... Makoto, please...

"So it was Izuru all along... He's the one who's been behind this game, and he just decided to reveal himself now..."

"Yes. We were surprised at his appearance, but together we managed to defeat him. Yet, not without a sacrifice..."

Makoto stood up and turned towards me, looking me in the eyes. I felt a pang of nervousness, even though he was my friend. Izuru trusted me to get everyone out of here, without anyone finding out the truth... I wasn't about to let him down.

"But Kyoko... Why would he reveal himself now... What motivation would he have..."

I initially panicked at his question, but it was an easy one to answer believably.

"Because I found out the secret to the Killing Game. Behind this secret door was his hideout. Once we revealed him, Juzo and Izuru fought, and just after Izuru killed him, he was distracted enough that I threw the bookcase on top of him and burned him to death."

"I see. That's everything?"

"Yes."

Makoto stared me down, in the same way that _I'd_ look at someone who I thought was lying. As far as I knew, I didn't give him any clear tells that I wasn't telling the truth...

But soon after, Makoto chuckled and shook his head, "If I didn't know any better, I'd believe you. Something doesn't make sense..."

I could feel the tension, the nervousness growing inside me. It filled me like a balloon, taking me over, paralyzing me. I stood there, silently panicking, waiting for Makoto to elaborate.

"You loved him, right? You told me before. So why'd you kill him?"

I should have known... That _that_ would be his argument...

Hmpf... This is what happens when you reveal your emotions to someone. They're able to use you, control you, based on what you want. I thought I could still trust Makoto... And maybe I can... But I'll still try my best to convince him that Izuru is dead... Because like Izuru said, there can't be any loose ends.

"The fact that I loved him did not matter. He was a threat to us, and he needed to die. Overcoming love was difficult, and I would be lying if I said it didn't hurt. But it needed to happen. I can cope, if only one sacrifice is necessary to save the world from Despair."

"I see... But if you really killed someone you loved, you could relate to Ruruka. Why didn't you tell her? Why did you need _my_ help?"

I was speechless at this point. I couldn't counter Makoto's statement... He was completely right...

I didn't think that far in advance... And even if I did, there was no way I could believably explain that situation to her...

Damn... I should've prepared more... Makoto is a great ally, but a formidable opponent as well, as I've seen firsthand at Hope's Peak...

Makoto smiled, having successfully taken down a detective with his logic, "I knew it. Those feelings are fake. You didn't kill him. He must be still alive..."

I bowed my head and lightly sighed, tired from putting on all those fake emotions.

"Kyoko, tell me the truth. We've trusted each other ever since we first met... There's no reason to hide anything from me..."

I looked back up at him, giving me a friendly grin. There's almost no one in the world who could resist such a hopeful face... And at this point, there was no other way out than telling him the truth.

"Don't tell anyone else, but Kazuo Tengan started this game... And Izuru Kamukura came here to finish it. However, Izuru is not a threat anymore... I'm merely showing everyone else that fact in the easiest way possible."

"So he's on our side now?"

"No, he's decided to remain neutral. As did I."

At that statement, Makoto's face showed surprise, and a hint of sadness. I understand why... but this has to happen.

"Kyoko..."

"All of this fighting between Hope and Despair... It's both dangerous and boring. Izuru and I will start our life together away from this conflict, as soon as everyone leaves this place."

"But... You're just walking away? What about the Future Foundation?"

I raised my eyebrows, countering Makoto's question. Looks like I'd have to educate him on the motive behind Izuru's plan...

"What about them? With Izuru gone, there's no more Despair. And with Despair gone, there's no need for Hope to stop them."

Makoto raised his eyebrows as well, giving me a glazed look.

"You're speaking of Hope like its only purpose is to destroy Despair."

"But there's no _other_ way to destroy Despair than to eliminate Hope as well... Makoto, surely you understand this now..."

Makoto looked off to the side, looking slightly dejected.

"Yes, but a world without Hope... I'm not sure how I feel about that..."

"Well, I certainly can live without Hope. There's nothing to Hope for if you already have everything you want."

We stood there in silence for a few seconds, Makoto not knowing how to respond, and me not wanting to respond. If only he'd just accept this future and move on...

"Kyoko... What if he's lying to you?"

"What?"

"I know you love him... But what if he's still with Despair?"

I gave Makoto an incredulous look. Still with Despair? There's no way.

"That's not possible. I saw his transformation with my own two eyes. I can sense our love for each other... There's nothing either of us would want more than to be together uninterrupted."

"I'm not saying I don't trust you, Kyoko, but he's Izuru Kamukura. The Ultimate Ultimate. He could bring anyone to his side. If he's still with them... This plan would give him the chance to do whatever he wanted..."

As much as I wanted to get angry at Makoto, I couldn't. He was only doing what was right as a friend in questioning my decisions. But to not believe that Izuru changed... I've spent so much time with Izuru, I've been through his many transformations, and now I can finally say that I truly understand him, and how he feels. And I _know_ he changed.

"Makoto... He may be the Ultimate Ultimate... And a former member of Despair... But deep down, inside his body, there's a heart. He's still human. He feels determination and happiness and boredom and love just like we all do! You're thinking his only desire is to spread Despair... But you're wrong. I've felt it inside me... I've felt a powerful love that surpasses all other feelings... The need, the longing to be together... And somehow, I could tell that he's feeling the same thing... That's how I know he's telling the truth..."

"Kyoko..."

Makoto stared at me, as I was almost on the verge of tears after my emotional statement. But I refocused myself when I heard a noise in the distance...

Footsteps...

A shadow was approaching this room... And by my calculations, there's only one person left in this building. Unfortunately, he was the one who I was most concerned about...

* * *

Monaca walked down the mountain, with a spring in her step, despite not having any more Red Bear energy drink on her. Going down a mountain was much easier than walking up one. Monaca was going so fast, she almost tumbled down a couple times! It didn't help that it was getting dark... And that Monaca was hungry, too... But Monaca eventually walked all the way down!

As Monaca got to the beach, she saw the fire lit up, burning brightly. There was only one person sitting there, and it didn't surprise Monaca. It was the princess, eagerly looking for Monaca even though there wasn't much light. Once she saw Monaca, she got up from her seat and walked over. The princess seemed puzzled. She probably expected everyone else to be with Monaca...

"Monaca..."

"What?"

"Where are they?"

"They're still up the mountain, inside the Neo World Program."

"Wh-what..."

A sad look appeared on the princess's face. Monaca tilted her head in confusion. Because she knew there was nothing to be worried about.

"Hm?"

"Monaca, I thought... I thought you would save them."

"Oh, yeah. Monaca didn't do anything..."

"You didn't... do anything?"

The princess's eyes widened, and Monaca could tell she was getting depressed. But Monaca stepped close to the princess and cupped her hand around her mouth, standing on her tiptoes. Monaca wasn't that tall, so the princess had to lean over in order for her to hear Monaca. And then, when she was ready, Monaca whispered something in her ear.

"Monaca didn't _do_ anything... Because Monaca didn't _need_ to do anything."

* * *

Kyosuke Munakata stepped into the doorway of the study. He stopped when he saw the two of us standing there, face to face in front of the exit. The look on his face was sheer contempt, as per usual. His left eye was wrapped in some sort of bandage that crossed his head... It made him look that much more malicious.

"What are you two still doing here?"

Makoto displayed a hint of surprise, but I responded calmly. I needed to be as confident as ever around Kyosuke, in order for him to believe me.

"We're making sure everyone leaves the building in one piece."

Kyosuke started walking into the room, looking in the direction of the burnt corpse.

"It's not hard to find the exit from here."

"One can never be too sure."

After I said that, the room grew silent, save for Kyosuke's ominous footsteps. I could feel a cold aura enveloping me as he walked forward. My eyes were fixated on him, mentally preparing myself for whatever he would do.

Kyosuke stopped in front of the spear that felled Ryota's phone. In one motion, he pulled the spear out of the wall, carrying it with him as he walked forward. Once he reached the corpse, he stopped and stared at it. Raising the spear, he aimed for the corpse and thrust it downwards, stabbing the body of Koichi Kizakura.

"I'm still in disbelieve that Izuru would let you kill him."

Remember... Confidence is key...

"I'm the one who captured him in the first place. You don't think I could do it again?"

Kyosuke turned towards me, staring deep into my soul with his piercing eyes.

"No, and that's the reason why. With all these abilities, you'd expect him to at least learn from what happened last time... What _did_ happen last time?"

I couldn't help but blush a little at his comment, even though I tried to maintain my composure. But before Kyosuke could make anything of it, Makoto spoke up from behind me.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that he's dead."

Kyosuke growled, "Stop ignoring the question. If there's any doubt in my mind, I have the right to investigate until it's cleared up. And something isn't quite right here..."

A pit started forming in my stomach... What didn't seem right? Was it something in the setup? Did I do something wrong?

"Why don't you trust her?" Makoto answered, increasing his volume.

"If this game has taught me anything, it's to be suspicious of everyone"

I could hear Makoto walking a few steps forward, standing almost next to me now.

"Well if this game has taught _me_ anything it's that we all have to trust each other."

"Trust each other? When anyone could be the killer?"

"No, none of us were. It was Izuru. That's how Despair works, by getting everyone to turn on each other."

Kyosuke scowled, apparently being fed up with Makoto's comments.

"Even if that _is_ how Despair works, Tengan told me something that makes me question your outcome, Ms. Kirigiri."

That pit in my stomach grew larger. But at least I knew it wasn't something _I_ did...

I kept my confidence, "And what is that?"

"He said that _everyone_ is the killer. 'Everyone' being the killer and 'One person' being the killer are two very different assertions..."

That is true... Tengan wasn't lying, and my evidence proved it. All of these deaths were suicides, and the targets could be anyone. But we thought no one else knew about that...

Right now, it's my word against Tengan's. I have to find some way to get Kyosuke to believe me...

"Saying something doesn't mean that it's necessarily true. He could have been misinformed."

"Do you know what Kazuo Tengan's NG Code was?"

"What was it?"

"'Answering a question with a lie'"

If I believed that feeling of nervousness and despair couldn't grow any larger, I was wrong. Out of all the possible codes... _that_ was the one that Tengan had? I stared at Kyosuke, unsure of what to say...

" _Now_ do you still believe that he was misinformed? Somehow, he _knew_ the answer to that question. And his bracelet didn't poison him. He can't possibly be lying... I'm starting to believe that _you two_ are the ones misinforming _me_."

Honestly, I couldn't think of anything worse that could happen... I resisted the strong urge to look towards the hole in the center of the room, beckoning Izuru to help...

But no. If I revealed Izuru, he'd have to kill Kyosuke. We already resorted that no one else would have to die...

Ugh I knew this was difficult... but Izuru is trusting me. I put on a confident face, despite the strong evidence against my case, and tried to settle Kyosuke down. I couldn't refute his claim, but I could surely back up mine...

"Look around. There was clearly a fight in here. I believe both Juzo's and Izuru's corpses should be enough to prove that he was here, and he was clearly intending to kill."

"Nothing is ever crystal clear, no matter how much evidence. Because of that truthful absurdity Tengan said, I've resorted to only trusting myself and my judgements. Despair infiltrated the Future Foundation once... There's no doubt it could do it again... And it's my job to stop it."

I was confused about his comment, but then Kyosuke pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and threw it at the two of us. The paper fluttered in the air, barely making it our way, but close enough for me to grab.

This wasn't a piece of paper... This was a photograph of Chisa Yukizome.

With dead children around her. She was sitting on a swing, smiling, as if nothing ever happened...

And the worst part was, the words "It was me" were written on the photo...

So Chisa was a Remnant of Despair... I would never have known. She always seemed so cheerful... But now I understand Kyosuke's perspective. He must have been horrified at the sight of that picture... Trusting her all throughout his life, only to discover that she was secretly working for the other side... I wouldn't trust anyone else, either, if the person closest to me turned out to be deceiving me the entire time...

But before I could think of a thoughtful response to Kyosuke that wasn't too aggressive, Makoto decided to speak up.

"That picture doesn't matter, what Hope is really about is knowing that even if those things happen, you'll be fine. It's not about actively searching for and destroying Despair. It's about perseverance."

Kyosuke was practically barking at this point, "I'm growing tired of your objections, Naegi. You expect us to just sit here and believe everything we hear, until something goes wrong? That's how Despair grows. That's how they get powerful. We need to destroy their roots, so they don't have that chance. You saw what Junko did. You saw what she did to Chisa... And to Ryota... That's how it all started. _Because_ we sat back and believed everything would be fine. _And it wasn't._ "

I was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the animosity between these two. There's no room for conflict right now. We wouldn't get anywhere unless everyone calmed down...

"Makoto, don't-"

"Do you even hear what you're saying? You're telling us to stop trusting each other because we _could_ be Despair. But there's no other way that we'll _overcome_ Despair without each others' help! One person can't defeat Despair by themselves. The more people we have, the better our chances."

Kyosuke continued to stare at us condescendingly, and quickly pulled out the spear which he used to stab the burnt corpse not long ago. He held it in a combat-like fashion.

No... Not like this...

"Who's saying one person can't defeat Despair by themselves?"

I was practically paralyzed by how terrible this plan was going... It must be even worse for Izuru, knowing that you could fix everything... He could hear everything happening up here loud and clear...

Kyosuke slowly raised the spear and pointed it towards me, "I've yet to hear your side of the story, Ms. Kirigiri. You've been letting Naegi here do all of the talking. Any particular reason for that?"

I needed to take back control of this conversation. It would be a stretch, but it was all I could do... I gave Kyosuke an incredulous look, almost mocking him for asking that question. I calmly and quickly recited the script of Izuru's supposed death.

"No, not at all. Izuru was too distracted by fighting Juzo, and right before Juzo died, I took the opportune moment to shove down the bookcase on top of him and burn him to death with Koichi's lighter."

I stared at Kyosuke, intending to subconsciously drill my beliefs into his head. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't change his mind.

"I don't trust you. Izuru could definitely move out of the way in that time."

"Even while completely focused on something else?"

"Yes. He is the Ultimate Ultimate. Anything is possible."

"Yes, anything, which means even the Ultimate Ultimate can make mistakes."

"It's not in his nature to make mistakes. He wouldn't let someone like you kill him in that fashion."

I was taken aback by his slightly demoralizing statement, and that paused my speech enough for Makoto to chime in.

"Why don't you think that she could kill him? There's no evidence against her!"

This needed to stop. Solving one personal vendetta is a whole lot easier than solving two... If only Makoto realized that...

"As I've said before, my default isn't trust. It's doubt. Evidence doesn't matter. Only what I believe matters."

I could tell that Makoto was growing even more agitated at Kyosuke's ignorance, so I threw my arm in front of him and tried to get him to stop speaking.

"Makoto, I can handle-"

Unfortunately, that didn't seem to stop him, either... He continued to angrily counter Kyosuke's claims.

"I've been with Kyoko for a long time, and I've trusted her ever since we were trapped in Hope's Peak together. I'd trust her with my life. She would never mean any harm to anyone!"

"Well, it's pretty easy for you to trust her, considering both of you have the same connection to Junko. You could both be Despair... "

"We were the ones who defeated her! You think we were on her side the entire time? That this was some sort of ruse?"

They were inching closer to each other in their anger. This needed to stop.

I decided to step in between them, just to put something in their way...

"Both of you, please-"

"If it could happen to Chisa, it could happen to you!"

"No, the situations weren't the same-"

Kyosuke appeared as if he was fed up with Makoto's pleas, the visible strain on his face of having to say the same thing ten times...

"The situations. Don't. Matter. What matters is that Despair could infect anyone. There's no telling who. It's easiest just to start with the ones closest to Junko and work my way out. That's the only way we'll ever be truly rid of Despair..."

My eyes grew wide as Kyosuke reeled his spear backwards. No... After all this work... After Izuru's carefully calculated plan... And surviving this dangerous Killing Game... Will it be all for nothing? Was this the end? The worst part is, we actually _did_ get rid of Despair... But he doesn't understand any of it... Kyosuke, don't do this...

With an aghast expression on my face, the only thing I could think of to do was to beg. I was too scared to do anything else...

"Kyosuke, please..."

Preparing for his attack, Kyosuke showed no change in expression. He gave the same cold, dark stare that he always gave. His lips moved quickly as he uttered two words.

"Goodbye, Despair."

With one motion, he thrust the spear in my direction. I wanted to scream, but for some reason nothing came out of my mouth when I did. It's as if my failure paralyzed me...

Izuru, I'm sor-

"No!"

I felt a shove from my left side, pushing me towards the secret exit. I could barely comprehend what was happening... But that voice... It was Makoto's, right?

I tumbled to the ground, still registering in my mind that I was saved from Kyosuke's attack. But once I heard the squish and the splatter coming from that direction, I knew exactly what happened.

 _"Makoto!"_


	18. Paradise

I quickly sat up, picking myself up off the ground, hurriedly turning around to make sure what I heard wasn't true.

But it was. I saw it.

Kyosuke's spear straight through the chest of Makoto Naegi, dripping blood from his back. Makoto's shirt reddened as the blood seeped through.

They both stood there, almost as if time had stopped. The look on my face was of utter disbelief. I wanted to reach out to him, to save him, but it seems time had stopped for me as well...

Makoto then fell to his knees, trembling, eyes still focused on Kyosuke. Kyosuke seemed to keep his usual composure, save for his shaking eye.

"She's... not... Despair..." Makoto said, breathing heavily, visibly pained by the spear.

"And you bet your life on that."

"Yes... Because... I trust her..."

"You're that certain Izuru was the killer, even when Tengan said otherwise?" Kyosuke said incredulously.

"Kyosuke... I hope you understand now... what Tengan meant... Not that everyone _is_ the killer... But that everyone _can_ be the killer... if they choose to be..."

Kyosuke stood there, unmoved, reciting Makoto's words, as if he didn't understand them.

"Everyone... can be the killer..."

Instantly, his eye widened and his face became pale. His body was motionless as usual, but it seemed like he wasn't controlling it this time.

Kyosuke released the spear, and slowly brought his hands to his face. They were splattered with blood from his attack. And, for the first time, I saw his hands shaking.

A scowl appeared on his shocked face, and suddenly his face displayed signs of anger. He clenched his fists and brought them to his side, looking away.

"How could I... let this happen..."

And then, after his wave of anger, he took a deep breath and slowly turned back towards me, keeping his composure as if nothing ever happened.

"The door is open, right? We can leave?"

I still couldn't believe what I was seeing, but I understood enough to nod my head at his request. I sat there, frozen, as Kyosuke calmly walked out of the room.

Now that nothing else was happening, I finally had time to fully process the situation. And as soon as he passed me, I rushed over to Makoto, crawling. It didn't help that my arms and legs were trembling as well...

"Makoto, don't worry, everything will be fine!"

"Kyoko..."

I took a closer look at Makoto. It seemed he was losing quite a lot of blood, but the look on his face didn't hint to me at all that he was in any sort of pain... It was only a slight grimace, nothing more. His eyes lit up a bit when he saw me approach him.

"We'll... We'll get you to a hospital-"

"There's no time-"

"But- But there has to be a-"

I started panicking, breathing quickly. The spear... I couldn't remove it. That would only lead to more blood loss. I wasn't a medical expert, so I didn't know what to do...

Wait. There was someone here who was just as good as any doctor we could get, if not better.

I fumbled through my bag and pulled out the caution tape I used earlier, and threw one end down the hole. I rushed over to the door and closed it, then tied the tape to the doorknob. Since the door was closed, shouting his name wouldn't be a problem...

"Izuru! Please, save him!"

Makoto grimaced a bit more from pain, however he interrupted me.

"No... please... The only way for the future you're envisioning to happen... is if both the Ultimate Despair _and_ the Ultimate Hope are gone..."

Makoto... What?

"What are you even saying, Makoto?"

"It's my time... To go..."

No... Seriously? Was he just accepting his death? There was no way that I'd let that happen. Not to my best friend.

"But... there has to be another way..."

"Kyoko... everything will be fine... the future will be great, with no more fighting... I'm glad I was able to play a part in it..."

Makoto's words were getting softer and more spaced out, but the expression on his face didn't change. Well, not until he started coughing up blood. I instinctively grabbed his shoulder and tried to hold him upright, to make it as easy as I could for him. The feeling of anxiety grew inside me even more as I saw him like this, as I constantly looked down the pit to check Izuru's progress.

"No, just hold on... I'm here... It'll be fine... It has to be... It can't end like this... "

"But it's not an ending... It's a new beginning."

"What? N-no... No..."

At this point, I couldn't control myself any longer. Warm tears began trickling down my face as I realized that he wouldn't listen to me.

Ugh, why does he always have to be so goddamn hopeful? There's no hope here! Nothing good can come out of this! He thinks he's doing it for me, but I want him in my future too...

"Makoto, please no... why can't you think of yourself for once..."

"Kyoko... I am... I've spent my whole life fighting Despair... It's the only thing I'm good at... And now that there's no more Despair here, my job is done... But it's still my responsibility to fight Junko... No matter where she is... So it's time we meet again... I'll fight her again. And I'll win again..."

"Makoto, it's not your-"

He interrupted me, knowing that I'd simply be refuting everything he said.

"Besides, that's where Sayaka is..."

The tears continued flowing, dripping on my legs. I understood that Makoto wanted to see Sayaka... But...

"But that's not where I am..."

There was a second of silence, and our eyes locked. I instinctively looked down as I continued sniffling. I'm not sure if Makoto has ever seen me cry before...

"Kyoko... You'll be fine... You've got Izuru, and your paradise..."

Makoto slowly lifted his arm and placed his hand on my shoulder, as I was still facing the ground, watching my tears drip into the slowly expanding pool of blood. His hands felt warm and steady, even though he was dying. I forced myself to pull my head up and look at him again.

He gave me one of his classic smiles. Sweat beading down his face, blood splattered everywhere over him, an open wound in his chest... And yet he still found the energy and willingness to smile.

The words that came out of his mouth were soft and broken, and much more hoarse than the rest, but I somehow could hear them clearly.

"Now you go be with him... And I'll be with her..."

Suddenly, a sound came from the pit next to where we were sitting. Two hands appeared at first, but then he lifted the rest of himself up. I could see Izuru's scruffy, black hair and the top half of his chest. But before he could raise himself any further, he turned towards Makoto, who looked towards him as well.

Makoto gave Izuru the same smile he gave me, and, almost contagiously, Izuru smiled back. It wasn't one of his devious or cunning or condescending smiles... It was a regular one, just like Makoto's.

Makoto opened his mouth to say something again, but sounds barely came out of his mouth. I couldn't tell what he was saying, but his mouth was still moving, so I could tell he only spoke two words... What were they-

"No, thank _you_." Izuru said to him, giving Makoto the most sincere look I've seen in awhile. Makoto seemed to acknowledge his response, and continued to smile until his eyes closed and his body went limp.

"Makoto? Makoto, no!"

I began shaking him lightly, trying to get any sort of response from him. But nothing happened.

"It's what he wanted." Izuru said to me as he lifted himself up out of the hole, putting most of his weight on his uninjured arm. He sat next to me, ignoring the pool of blood that got over his clothes.

"But... it's not what _I_ wanted..." I said, looking down again. I couldn't look at his face, because I knew he'd try to cheer me up, and I didn't want that. All I wanted to do was to sulk...

"It'll be fine." Izuru said, grabbing my chin lightly and lifting my face up. We stared at each other for a second, my eyes shaking, tears flowing slowly out of them, and his eyes calm and soothing.

Knowing that he was there next to me, I didn't need to hold it in any longer. I instantly burst into tears, throwing myself onto him, uncontrollably crying into his chest. He sat there and held me, and his warm body was all the more comforting. I lost track of time, focusing on the last thing that Despair would ever take away from me...

Makoto...

* * *

I laid there, surrounded by complete darkness as I was dragged along the ground inside of a body bag. I had to remain entirely limp for the time being, as there was a reason I was in a body bag. I was pretending to be a corpse.

This was the last step in the plan, but it was by far the easiest. Managing to get me to my speedboat unseen, and then riding it all the way to Jabberwock Island.

So Kyoko requested a body bag for me. She would have asked for one for Makoto, too, but the speedboat wasn't big enough to hold three people. We shoved Koichi's corpse back down the pit where we found it, I got in the bag, and then Kyoko began to escort me.

It was not long before I heard some familiar voices.

"Kyoko, where's Makoto?" Aoi Asahina asked curiously.

There were a couple seconds of silence, which were interrupted by Aoi's screams.

" _Makoto!_ "

I heard quick, light footsteps running away from me, and some people shuffling in the other direction.

"Wha, M-Makoto?!" Hiro exclaimed from a distance away. There were footsteps growing closer, but then the sound of breaking glass filled my ears.

"Aw, man, that thing was expensive!"

The footsteps continued, and among them were calm, slow steps, almost professional.

"Makoto just _had_ to die... Very disappointing... I'll miss him." Byakuya Togami said. I was surprised that he arrived this quickly from Makoto's help request...

"Yes. I do believe a proper funeral is required."

"True... We may as well have one funeral for everyone who died here..."

Kyoko audibly acknowledged Byakuya's request, and then started dragging me in the direction of the speedboat.

"May I inquire as to where you're going?"

"I'm bringing Izuru Kamukura's corpse to Jabberwock Island."

"And why would that be?"

"To show the Remnants what happened. He was their friend; they have a right to know. It's also a subtle hint to stray away from Despair."

"Can't that wait? You just left the building."

"I believe your men have this place under control. I may as well take the trip now. Considering you'll be busy planning the funeral, that leaves me as the only other person the Remnants trust."

Byakuya sighed, "Fine. Do you need a boat?"

"That speedboat over there should work just fine."

"It seems rather small... But that's from one of our ships, so it should hold up."

There was a second of silence, and then Kyoko spoke up.

"Take good care of him."

"I will."

Then, the dragging began again. After about a minute, I was lifted off the ground and dropped into the boat with a thud. I could feel the boat swaying with the tide. Not soon after, I heard footsteps on wood, and the revving of the engine. The loud hum of the engine filled my mind as I laid there...

...

After a while, I heard a zipping sound, and then light engulfed me. I slowly emerged from the now open body bag and sat upright in the boat, and I instantly was reminded of my shorter hair as we were moving pretty fast.

Kyoko was sitting there, staring forward, as the boat sped quickly towards Jabberwock Island. Her face was stark and emotionless, hair blowing calmly in the wind.

She handled that last part particularly well, considering she just lost her best friend. But when it came to work, Kyoko knew how to push back her feelings. It's what she did as a detective. It wasn't helpful at all, but it's what she had to do.

Once I was settled, she turned back to me. Her face didn't change, but I could still sense the sadness underneath her expression.

I nodded, and began speaking, "You d-"

"Don't..."

Kyoko interrupted me, with her commanding yet indifferent voice. It was almost as if she didn't want to be consoled... As if she wanted to wallow in her sadness... Was it out of respect for Makoto? Was it because she forgot how it felt? Or was it something else entirely?

After a second of silence, she put her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her, and we sat there quietly until we saw the island come into view.

I highly doubted the Remnants would be up at this hour, as the sun was just starting to rise. However, as the beach came into view, I could clearly see the yellow fire burning brightly, and someone sitting there next to it. As we got closer, I realized who it was.

Sonia Nevermind.

I began to question why she would be up this early, but something else got my attention. Monaca's van, parked next to the huts... It seems she has met the Remnants already...

And it seems that she has made it safely to Jabberwock Island undetected. I breathed a sigh of relief. It went exactly as planned, for once...

As we steadily made our way towards the shore, Sonia turned towards us. Although she looked surprised at first, her expression changed to eagerness as she stood up and walked towards us.

The boat slowed to a stop against the sand, and I stepped out onto the soft, clay-like beach. I reached my hand out behind me to Kyoko, and she took it. I helped her off the boat, and she walked forward, next to me, until we were only a couple feet apart from Sonia.

"Izuru..." she said. It looked like there was something on her mind.

But she didn't get to finish her thought, because a loud noise broke the silence.

The doors to Monaca's van slammed open, and she came running out. She almost tripped in her haste, but she continued running nonetheless. Surprisingly, another head popped out of the van.

"Hey, hey! You can't just leave in the middle of a game! Especially-"

Kazuichi Soda waved his arm around in anger, but when he saw Kyoko and I, he stopped.

"Oh-"

"Hey, cool it with the noise, will ya? We're tryin' to sleep here!"

Akane interrupted him from her hut, as it seems she was awake as well.

"Well, it wasn't _my_ fault! She just slammed the doors open!"

"But ya didn't have to yell!"

"Hey guys? Stop arguing. Please. It's making ya both look like idiots."

Fuyuhiko joined the conversation as well. But eventually it all died down once they saw the reason for all the commotion.

Monaca stopped running next to Sonia, about three feet away from me. She stood upright, mouth open, eyes twinkling in the sunrise. This was the first time we met in person, and she sure seemed excited...

I turned towards Kyoko for a second, who was staring at Monaca. She still had that detached look on her face, not knowing what to make of the situation. I'm sure she didn't expect all of this to happen within minutes of us landing on the island.

Suddenly, Monaca lunged towards me and wrapped me in a warm hug. She was significantly shorter than me, so her arms were around my lower back. I was startled by her movement.

"Kamukura Senpai..."

Monaca began snuggling me, and I couldn't help but put my arms around her as well. However, this only lasted a couple seconds before Monaca shoved herself away from me and turned towards Kyoko.

"You're Kamukura Senpai's girlfriend, right?"

Kyoko, surprised by her blunt question, stuttered in her response. I could see some color returning to her face, but I could still sense the sadness, and the depression. She did not want to be bothered by such questions...

"U-Uh..."

"Yes." I said, hoping to make this as easy on her as possible.

"Ahhhh! Monaca couldn't wait to meet you!"

Monaca stepped closer to Kyoko, eyes still sparkling, but I knew Kyoko didn't want her presence.

"Um, yes-"

"How'd you two meet? How'd Kamukura Senpai save you? Monaca wants to know evvvvverything!"

"Uh, w-well..."

Kyoko was clearly fumbling in her responses. I forget the last time I saw her like this, so uncomfortable... So it was about time I stepped in.

"Monaca, can we have a moment? We need some time to relax and talk things over."

"Mhm!" Monaca said, nodding her head excitedly. I knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Alone, please."

The expression on Monaca's face shifted to playful disobedience.

"Whaaa-"

"Yes. Of course. We will come back later."

Sonia interrupted Monaca, as she put her hand on Monaca's shoulder. Monaca pouted, but followed Sonia's command as the two of them walked away and sat near the fire.

I turned towards Kyoko, who overcame her discomfort and now gave me a slight glare, as if she knew what I was up to and didn't want any part in it. The look that clearly said, 'Don't even try to console me'.

But that didn't matter. I was going to cheer her up anyways, whether she liked it or not. She needed this.

I stepped closer to her and put my arm around her. I then turned to face the ocean, and she turned with me, placing her head on my shoulder again. We could see the sun rising above the water, reflecting brilliantly in shades of orange, yellow, and red. The sky was a light reddish color as well, reflecting onto the few clouds that floated by. The waves passed by slowly, crashing down against each other, and combined with the ocean breeze, it made for a very soothing atmosphere.

I could tell Kyoko was getting lost in her surroundings as well, replacing the glare on her face with a more somber expression.

"You did well back there. I'm proud of you."

I sensed Kyoko slouch slightly when she heard my voice. She took a couple seconds, but she did respond.

"No, I didn't. I couldn't help Ruruka... Kyosuke saw right through me..."

Kyoko then let out a quiet sigh, "And I lost my best friend."

"But you didn't give up. Even though things didn't go as planned, you still persevered. And now we're here. I'm proud of you for that. The mistakes didn't matter."

I gave Kyoko a chance to speak, but she didn't, so I continued.

"It's unfortunate that Makoto had to die... But at least you got to spend the time with him that you did. It's better for him to have lived and died than to never have lived at all."

Kyoko didn't respond again, and I didn't expect her to. There wasn't much I could say that would cheer her up at this point. If she consigned herself to sulk, then so be it.

As it got quiet, I heard something coming from behind me. Slow steps in the sand... Soft enough to go unnoticed by most people... But not Izuru Kamukura.

I knew exactly who it was, too. Monaca, wanting to listen in to our conversation. I'd have to tell her to-

Wait...

I remembered that I had a present for Monaca. It could wait, but now was the perfect time to give it to her. It's the best chance I had to cheer Kyoko up...

"Monaca-"

"EEP!"

Monaca seemed to be startled, stopping in her tracks.

"Come here"

I heard the footsteps again, slowly walking over towards me. Monaca then appeared at my side, taking another couple steps forward and turning around. Monaca couldn't help but shift her focus between me and Kyoko, who was still looking somber.

"Thank you for what you did to get us here. We surely wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

Monaca's face got a bit red, and she started turning in place, hands folded in front of her.

"Aw, Monaca didn't do much. And Monaca messed up a lot... Kamukura Senpai did all the hard work!"

"I would say the same thing, a day ago. But in that time, I've come to learn that the definition of perfection is subjective. I did have my doubts about you... but as long as there's a happy ending, it doesn't matter how you got there. I wouldn't have realized this without Kyoko's help. And I thought _I_ was perfect..."

I chuckled a bit, and then continued my speech. I could tell Kyoko was listening intently from the decreased pressure of her head on my shoulder.

"But people aren't who they are without their flaws, myself included. If everyone was perfect, the world would be boring, wouldn't it? Seeing people grow and learn to overcome their flaws is what's truly great about them."

I could tell Monaca's appreciation from the glimmer in her eyes. She seemed awestruck, not knowing what to say.

"Monaca, I want you to have something."

Almost as if breaking free from a spell, Monaca jumped forward a bit and asked, "What is it?"

She started breathing heavily, excited for her present. I couldn't blame her; she was still a kid. I held out my hand softly and chuckled.

"Patience, Monaca..."

I reached inside my jacket pocket and pulled out the hairpiece.

Chiaki's hairpiece.

I've been carrying it with me ever since she died that fateful day.

On that day, I lost a close friend, just like Kyoko did earlier. But what she needed to realize is that even if they die, these people aren't truly gone if you keep your memories of them with you.

I stared at the hairpiece in my hand for a couple seconds. I remembered the time Chiaki and I spent together... I remembered her effect on the Remnants behind me... Every time I looked at the hairpiece, I could almost feel her presence...

She was still there... But I didn't need the hairpiece anymore to remember her. It was about time for someone else to appreciate it. I held out the hairpiece to Monaca, and her eyes lit up.

"This is something that means a lot to me, from a very close friend. Someone who never gave up on anyone, just like you. She's not alive anymore, but without her, I surely wouldn't be who I am today. I'll always value her friendship and I'll value the time we spent together."

I closed my palm and brought it up to my chest. Monaca's eyes closely followed my fist.

"Even though she's gone, she'll always be living here, in my heart. This hairpiece is a memento of her... And I want you to have it."

I extended my hand out to Monaca again, and it seemed she couldn't contain her excitement this time. She gasped, and then snatched it up from my hand. She held it for a couple seconds, turning it about, admiring the spaceship design. Then, she quickly put it in her hair, and then looked up at me. I smiled back at her.

"Monaca loves it!"

Monaca then gave me another hug, wedging her left arm between Kyoko and me.

"Thank you, Kamukura Senpai..."

"No, thank _you_ , Monaca."

I then turned back to Kyoko. Her head was off my shoulder by now. She was giving me a very reluctant smile, almost as if she was mad at me for cheering her up. I smiled back at her, thankful that she was able to understand my perspective. I then leaned in and kissed her, as the sun continued to rise above the water. It lasted for a few seconds as we both indulged in each other.

"So I hear there's another girl in your heart." Kyoko playfully commented.

I grinned and responded the same way, "I'm sure she'll give you as much room as you need."

We then kissed again, standing there in the sunrise, the Remnants watching us in disbelief and confusion. But I didn't care what they thought. Kyoko and I had our paradise now, and that's all that mattered now.


	19. New Beginning

"Kyokooooooo"

A hysterically sad Komaru Naegi was the first one off the boat. Tears flooded down her face and onto the sand as she ran up to me and gave me a hug, with a force that almost knocked me over. The crying and sniffling continued with her head on my shoulder, as I hugged her back. She looked very different in a black jacket and pants. I was used to her white-shirted schoolgirl attire...

Scurrying behind her was Toko Fukawa, a good distance ahead of the rest of them.

"G-G-God stop em-embarrassing me! W-why can't you just k-k-keep it to yourself like e-everyone else?"

I decided to ignore her comment for now, because everyone else was beginning to walk off the boat. Which meant the funeral was about to begin.

It took a couple days to plan the funeral, as communication between Byakuya and I was difficult. Byakuya managed to locate everyone who died in the Killing Game, but he needed a place to hold the funeral that would be away from the general public, "just in case". When I suggested we have it on Jabberwock Island, he was reluctant to agree, but I insisted. Especially because of the Remnants, who wanted to see their old teacher again. And Izuru said it would be fine, provided he and Monaca hide in her van up in the mountains until everyone left.

So Byakuya brought over folding chairs and kneelers, and he lent some of his men to help the Remnants and I set up the room we'd be holding the event in. Byakuya made his way back to the mainland, retrieved the caskets and the guests, and came back.

Various lower-level Future Foundation members began walking the caskets off the boat slowly, in front of the other guests. Thankfully, it wasn't raining, but there wasn't much light, either. Clouds drained the blue from the sky, blocking the sun from this tropical paradise. Honestly, it was better that way. At least for today.

The caskets passed me one by one... Daisaku Bandai... Kazuo Tengan... Gozu... Seiko Kimura... Chisa Yukizome... Koichi Kizakura - thankfully, no one questioned the charred state of his body, but it could be explained from the fire in that room after he died... Sonosuke Izayoi... Juzo Sakakura... and finally, Makoto Naegi. It was refreshing to see my friend again, but disappointing as well. Knowing that he'll be in that eternal sleep forever...

No. He's here, with me, in my heart. Just like everyone else who died. Izuru taught me that. Chiaki always stayed in _his_ heart, and he even went so far as to infect the Neo World Program with Despair in her memory, to give her the rematch she deserved.

The caskets passed us, and as I began walking behind them, I caught a glimpse of the guests. Byakuya, Aoi, Hiro, Ryota, Ruruka... But no Kyosuke. He was probably still distraught after killing Makoto... I didn't expect him to show up, anyways.

The room wasn't much of a room, per se. We simply set up some poles and tarps so that the weather couldn't get in. It was still on the beach, so the chairs were placed directly in the sand. It wasn't elegant, but it worked. There was no need for the funeral to be decorative.

They carried the caskets into the room, and they set them down softly in the back of the room, behind the kneelers. Then, they took their seats quickly, as the rest of us just approached the front rows. The four Remnants were already seated near the front, looking at the caskets.

Everyone else sat down, but I made my way to the podium standing nearby. There needed to be _some_ kind of speech, and no one else was willing to do it. Byakuya "didn't see their deaths firsthand" and so "would not be the optimal choice". Aoi didn't know what to say, and Ruruka and Ryota were never really ones to talk. So that pushed the task on me. I didn't want to give it, either, but I felt that I had to as well. It needed to be done, and as much as I wasn't comfortable with it, Izuru helped me get over Makoto's death and I felt that everyone else could benefit from what I've learned from him.

So I stood there at the podium, looking the crowd of people as they got quieter, Komaru's crying dulling as much as it could. My speech was written out and sitting there on the podium, but I wouldn't need it. I felt an initial pang of nervousness at all the uneasy eyes in the crowd, but that went away as I remembered what I was going to say. I took a deep breath and began.

"Despair has always played a big part in our lives. Whether it be fighting with it or against it, it threatened to devour us whole, not allowing for us to focus our attention elsewhere. And just when we thought everything was looking up, this Killing Game appeared out of nowhere. And because of it, we lost these good people. It's unfortunate that it had to happen, but there was no avoiding it. We have much reason to grieve over their deaths, for how unfair they were, for how futile they were, for how demoralizing they were..."

I looked up at the audience. I didn't expect them to be looking at me as intently as they were. Nevertheless, I continued.

"But there is a good in every bad. A Hope in every Despair. Yes, they have died, but they have given our lives so much light. Yes, the Killing Game was at fault for the deaths of these people, but because they sacrificed themselves, the game has ended. Because of their deaths, there is peace. And we can sit here today, looking forward to a bright future, only because of them. Today may be a day for grieving, but tomorrow we hold our heads high and accept the gift of life these people gave us."

I turned backwards, towards the casket in the center of the room. The one that held Makoto Naegi.

"Besides, that's what Makoto would want. Moving forward was what he did best, and it's what we should do now. We should take these experiences with us, and continue to live life with them always by our side. Let our memories of them be our Hope in this time of Despair, and may our futures be filled with an even greater Hope because they will always be with us."

It was unusual to hear complete silence after my speech, and it made me anxious. But as I looked at everyone, I realized how much they appreciated it. The satisfaction in their faces was all the applause I needed. I confidently walked away from the podium and back to my seat, as the crowd began their quiet conversations again.

Not long afterwards, some people walked up to the caskets and began praying. Akane and Sonia were kneeling down next to Chisa, with Fuyuhiko and Kazuichi standing behind them. Komaru, escorted by Toko, knelt beside Makoto. She was still sniffling and crying, but something seems to have soothed her. Ryota and Ruruka walked along the row, paying their respects to each member individually.

Honestly, I didn't feel the need to go up there. Because, like Izuru said, he'll always be with me. I could feel his presence in the room, looking down at us, smiling. It used to feel like he was gone, like I'd never see him again, but now it doesn't. There was no reason to grieve his loss if he wasn't truly lost to begin with.

Yet, I couldn't say the same about the others who died that day... I still needed to pay my respects to them...

Byakuya, Aoi, and Hiro got up at this point, after Toko's two second prayer was finished. As more people came and went, the crowd in the back began to cycle through the caskets quickly. I decided to sit and bide my time until the crowd grew smaller. I'd feel more comfortable if there weren't many people here, anyways. So I closed my eyes, folded my hands, and remembered everything that happened during the Killing Game. As much as it hurt me to do so, it was out of respect for them. For everything they've done...

...

"Kyoko?"

"Huh?"

I was startled awake by Byakuya Togami, my eyes widening as I jolted my head in his direction.

"It's almost time to leave."

I looked around, and the crowd petered out. There was barely anyone in the room at this point, and the stragglers were heading towards the exit. Byakuya, Aoi, and Hiro stood there next to me.

And then it registered to me what Byakuya actually wanted. It was a very simple answer.

"I'm not going."

"Wh-what?" Hiro exclaimed, his hair bobbing.

"Please leave without me. I'm not going with you."

"Why not?" Byakuya asked, clearly confused at my behavior.

"I've spent a few days here on this quiet island... And it seems like what I need right now. The Remnants should have someone watch over them, and if they can find a way to survive here, I surely can."

"What? That's crazy! How'll you get electricity? And wash your clothes? And- And buy all your donuts?" Aoi rebutted.

"I'll make due with what I have."

"But-" Aoi yelled again, but she was interrupted by Byakuya.

"She has the right to her decision. If she wants to stay, she can stay."

"Ok..." Aoi muttered, dejected at Byakuya's response.

I looked up at him, who gave me a quick nod.

"Take care of yourself."

"I will."

As Byakuya swiftly walked out of the room, Hiro and Aoi followed him, leaving me as the only one sitting here with the caskets. They apparently decided to bury the bodies here as well, to keep the funeral as secretive as possible. And they've left us to handle that. Ultimately, we weren't against their decision.

I looked behind me, at my three classmates walking further and further away in the sand, towards the last boat that would approach this island. I released a long sigh, partially in remembrance of my previous life, and partially in satisfaction that I could finally relax in my newfound paradise.

I got up from my seat and slowly walked towards Makoto's casket, placed deservingly in the middle of the room. I stared at his cold, lifeless body, laying there in eternal rest...

I gave him a sincere smile. It didn't bother me anymore. His body may be lifeless, but the life wasn't killed. It was plainly moved, from one world to the next. The remains of his spirit can be found in all of us.

I began to kneel down, but before I could get anywhere, I heard a tear in the tarp behind the caskets. I looked over, confused as to what was happening, and I saw the blade of a knife run down, creating an opening someone could walk through.

And, as expected, someone did. Izuru Kamukura. He looked at me, standing there by myself, and then slowly walked in my direction.

What? He shouldn't be here! This was way too risky. A shocked look appeared on my face, amidst the calmness of the corpses in front of me.

"Izuru. The boat hasn't left yet. They'll find you."

Izuru gave me a typical unfazed look as he continued to approach me, "I need to pay my respects as well... Everything will be fine, Kyoko."

Izuru stopped in front of me. Over the past couple days, his hair has grown from mere inches to almost shoulder length. I've never seen his hair like this before. It was always short or long, never middling. But then again, I've never seen _him_ like this before, either...

Izuru then knelt down in front of Makoto's casket, looking at him intently. The silence was deafening as I stared at them, looking towards the entrance to make sure no one saw Izuru. As I turned back at him, he spoke.

"In that moment, from that smile, I could understand all of his feelings... exactly what he's been through... and why he did what he did... It wasn't just for him, it was for everyone..."

My thoughts were so focused on Izuru's dialog that I didn't hear the sandy footsteps approaching the tent. As the noise got louder, a perplexed look appeared on my face. And as I saw who was standing there, that look changed from perplexion to fear.

Standing there, light grey coat and all, eyepatch covering his injured eye, was Kyosuke Munakata.

All my dreams instantly fell apart. My body froze in fear, staring at him, coldly walking towards the two of us. However, Izuru was unusually calm, still looking at Makoto's corpse. I turned towards him and shook his shoulder.

"Izuru, I was right. Kyosuke is here."

Izuru simply nodded his head and ignored me, almost as if he didn't care what happened.

But I knew he cared! He _had_ to care! So why was he like this...

Either way, I couldn't do anything myself. I simply stood there, wary of Kyosuke, as he approached us. He stopped as he passed the chairs, standing a couple of feet away.

My heart almost collapsed under the tension. We had to do so much for this plan to succeed. There were a couple mistakes, but we worked past them. And now, Kyosuke can just undo all of that in the blink of an eye. Argh... If only Izuru listened to me...

I stared at Kyosuke, standing there, motionless. What was he going to do? Attack us? Turn us in?

Wait... Maybe... He wasn't here for us...

I could somehow tell from the way he looked, even though he didn't reveal much. That, combined with the fact that he didn't attack us while we were vulnerable, gave it away.

Kyosuke turned to Izuru, who did not budge ever since he began kneeling, and looked at him. He decided to slowly walk over to the next casket and kneel down as well.

I'm sure it was no coincidence that it was the casket of Chisa Yukizome.

* * *

I heard Kyosuke's footsteps before Kyoko did. I listened to her begging me to do something as he walked towards us.

But I knew he wouldn't attack us.

There's something about having your entire worldview shattered into a million pieces that really causes you to step back and rethink everything. Your eyes widen, your body freezes, and you realize that what you've been doing is completely and utterly wrong. I would know how it feels, because Kyoko was the one who shattered mine.

And Makoto was the one who shattered his.

For once in my life, I truly understood someone else not because I was the Ultimate Ultimate, but because of empathy. And that's why I knew how he would feel. Because in the end, he and I are not that different.

I turned my head to look at Kyosuke. He was staring down at Chisa's corpse, laying there peacefully. His eyes displayed hints of longing and anger, but they showed mostly acceptance. Without moving his head, he began talking.

"So I was right... I was right to doubt Kyoko..."

"But I was also wrong... There's no reason to doubt people... Because doubting her solved nothing... You just fall into despair that way..."

Kyosuke let out a heavy, quiet sigh.

"And you lose everyone you've ever cared about"

Kyosuke's eyes trailed off from Chisa's casket to the one next to it, further away from me. The casket of Juzo Sakakura. I remembered the fight I had with him, how he figured us out... And I remembered his last words. Kyosuke deserved to know them.

"He loved you, you know. You were everything to him."

"I figured as such. But when your mind is too focused on one thing, you lose sight of everything else... I never stopped to look at what I had until it was too late..."

Kyosuke then turned towards me and Kyoko, staring at him intently.

"It seems you two realized this..."

I gave him a quick nod.

"Yes, we've stopped fighting long ago, in order to get what we truly wanted."

"I've given up on this fight as well... Because there's no reason to fight if you'd have to lose everything to win... Even now, I may have won, but there's nothing for me to live for..."

"You're wrong."

My words were sharp, cutting the air between us. Kyosuke seemed startled at my response.

"Hm?"

"There's something you could do that would make someone you knew very happy..."

The stunned look on Kyosuke's face shifted, to one expressing a bit of confusion, but moreso curiosity. Looks like I'd have to explain myself.

"Chisa Yukizome's legacy. That last class she taught... They're still up there on the mountain... And they can be revived with the push of a button."

It hit Kyosuke like an epiphany, remembering that the Remnants were up there. I'm sure he remembered that he wanted them killed as well...

"Although they were Despair... They don't have to be. They just need the right mentor. Nothing against them, but I don't have the patience for that. And I've got some catching up to do..."

Kyosuke chuckled a bit at that. I was sure Kyoko was blushing behind me...

I pushed myself up from the kneeler and stood up, as I reached my hand out to Kyosuke.

"But that doesn't mean they should have to be ignored... So, Kyosuke, how about we take a little walk?"

He knelt there, taking a couple seconds to process everything I've said. But then, he gave me a confident nod and took my hand as I helped him up.

The three of us left the tent and began walking towards the fire pit in the distance, where the Remnants were sitting. I could see the Future Foundation ship, already churning steadily along, and the Remnants watching it intently. The ship got smaller and eventually disappeared into the light fog that was in the air today.

As we got closer, the four of them turned towards us. I grabbed something from my pocket and threw it at them, landing in the sand directly in front of Fuyuhiko.

"About damn time, I thought you lost it!"

He quickly snatched up his knife from the ground, as the rest of them looked startled by the newcomer.

"Who's that guy?" Kazuichi asked

"Oh, he's one'a those Future Foundation jerks. I remember havin' ta fight 'em." Akane sneered.

"Not anymore." I interjected, ensuring they wouldn't get the wrong idea. Kyosuke wasn't here to control them.

"To you all, I'm simply a friend of your teacher." Kyosuke said, taking the time to examine each of the four Remnants. There was a short silence after he spoke.

"So... you knew Ms. Yukizome?" Sonia asked.

"Yes, I did. Albeit not for long enough..."

"Can you tell us more about our teacher?" Sonia pleaded, her eyes showing more life than on most days.

"Tch." Fuyuhiko scowled.

Akane promptly put Fuyuhiko in a headlock, playfully resisting his attempts to break free.

"Hey, don't act like you don't wanna know too!"

"Get... off... of me..."

Kyosuke chuckled at them, "All right... I'll tell."

I turned towards Kyoko, who was smiling as well watching the Remnants. I smiled back and gave her a quick nod, and began walking up towards the mountain.

"I'm going to pick up Monaca."

Kyoko followed me, and Kyosuke motioned the Remnants to follow as well. Sonia practically jumped out of her seat, and the others weren't far behind.

Kyosuke started telling his stories of him, Chisa, and Juzo, as they went through school and through Hope's Peak. It reminded me of my days back in school... Before Hope's Peak, when I didn't have a care in the world...

Not long after we began our walk, we saw Monaca's van, parked behind some trees, hidden from the beach as planned. She should probably come as well. After all, she _was_ one of the reasons why Kyoko and I were here right now...

I knocked on the door of the van, and Monaca popped out.

"Kamukura Senpaiiiii, are they gone yet?"

"Yes, they're gone."

"Then what's _he_ doin' here?"

Monaca motioned towards Kyosuke and pouted. Having heard Monaca, Kyosuke paused his story, causing an awkward silence. The Remnants turned towards us as well.

"He's a friend now."

"Reeeeeallyyyy?"

Monaca exaggerated her question playfully, but I sensed a hidden uneasiness. However, I was certain Kyosuke was on our side now, Monaca would listen to whatever I said.

"Yes. Now let's go."

Monaca tilted her head in confusion, "Where's Kamukura Senpai goin'?"

"To go save some friends."

Monaca's eyes lit up, as she looked towards the mountain and pointed at the lone metal room in the distance.

"There? Kamukura Senpai's gonna wake them up?"

"Yes."

Monaca jumped out of the van and threw her arms in the air, with a huge smile on her face.

"Yay, let's go!"

I could practically feel the excitement in the air around the Remnants, as they discovered the real reason behind this walk. I turned towards them, examining their surprised faces.

"So... We're really goin' up there? I'll be able to see Coach Nekomaru again?"

"Peko..."

"Gundham, just hold on! We will be together soon!"

I looked at Kyosuke, who was sincerely smiling at the Remnants, and I nodded at him. I was sure he'd be smiling a lot from now on.

Monaca led the way to the Neo World Program, pulling my arm in the hopes that I'd walk faster. However, I wanted to stay near Kyoko, who was smiling at Monaca's playfulness. Kyosuke and the Remnants weren't far behind, Kyosuke's stories only amplifying their anticipation.

It wasn't long before we got to the Neo World Program. The lone, metal door stood before me.

Hmpf. How ironic.

I originally entered this door with one question in mind. The question that drove my entire existence up until that point.

Which was better, Hope or Despair?

And now, after experiencing both and everything in between, have I found the answer.

None of them were better. They were both equal. But, when cancelled out, the true victor emerged.

Ambivalence.

I opened the door slowly, seeing the room exactly how I left it. Cold, dark, and boring. Much like how I was when I left...

"Watch your step, some idiot broke his radio and forgot to clean up after himself!"

Monaca burst me out of my reminiscence with her snarky comment. I looked on the floor, and remembered that she was right. I rubbed Monaca's head playfully as we took a couple steps inside the room.

Monaca instantly ran over to the sleeping Remnants, staring at one in particular. Nagito Komaeda.

I remembered my conversation with him on the boat when I was first brought to this island. Hmpf. Looks like I'd have to tell him my name after all...

Kyoko stopped by my side, as well as Kyosuke. The Remnants ran over to their friends as well, their eyes sparkling like kids in a candy store.

I turned towards the control panel, and I ripped off the note I put there.

 _"Do not touch this machine. Do not even try to fix it, because it's already fixed. And only I know how to operate it. So don't touch it._

 _-Izuru Kamukura"_

I smiled. Looks like it did what it needed to... But it was actually pretty simple to activate. The big, red button here would do the trick. I looked around for Kyosuke.

He was staring at the Remnants again, and after a while he shook his head and chuckled, turning towards me.

"Who knew I'd ever be content with all of you around me..."

I smiled at him, and pointed towards the button.

"Care to do the honors?"

"Gladly."

Kyosuke pressed the button slowly and with confidence, and the pods containing the sleeping Remnants began glowing in a bluish light. Everyone who was near them was startled, and took a few steps back, but their faces didn't stop showing amazement.

Steam slowly seeped through the cracks in the pods, hissing in our ears and slightly obscuring our vision. The room began smelling of sweat, as these sleeping Remnants haven't had a chance to bathe in weeks. They'd be waking up any second now, greeting their friends as if they've never lived without them...

I felt a light pull on my arm, in the direction that Kyoko was standing. I looked at her, and she motioned her head towards the room exit, almost pleading.

Honestly, I felt the same way she did. This was _their_ time, not ours. And besides, what better time than now to sneak away undetected for a few hours?

I nodded at her, and we walked towards the doorway. After I took one last look at the pods, which were just beginning to open, we both slipped away and began walking into the woods.

One could say the future looked hopeful. Kyoko was here by my side, Monaca managed to make it to Jabberwock Island undetected, the Remnants got their friends back, and Kyosuke Munakata had something to live for. We'd live on this island happily for the rest of our lives, ignoring everything else that didn't matter to us.

But 'Hope' wasn't the word for it.

Hope is when you know the future will be better than the present, and Despair is when you know the future will be worse than the present. Two opposites, continually fluctuating, moving up and down like a sine wave.

Neither of those was how I felt now. For me, there wasn't anything to look forward to. Because there's no reason to look forward when you can look at what you have now and live in the present. Now that she is here, my life is a straight line, from present to future. One constant, unaffected by either Hope or Despair. True Ambivalence.

So the future didn't look hopeful, or despairful. It looked like today, which looked like every day in between.

And that's exactly what I wanted.

* * *

 **A/N: thanks for reading guyssss. This is my testament to "you can't just kill off a character with a meaningful death, and then bring them back to life". It felt so bad. None of that Cure X BS here... Instead I wanted to show that death doesn't have to be bad, that death can be meaningful, and that there can still be happy endings with death involved.**

 **But seriously though, I love how this piece turned out. Every time I write, I feel like I'm growing. If you liked it too, like, comment, subscribe, leave a review, favorite, do whatever you have to. I appreciate all of your feedback.**

 **I think this'll be my last long piece. It's such a huge commitment to write 75,000 word stories. And I'll probably take a break after this piece to unwind. That being said, this may not be the last you'll see of me. If you've got any oneshot ideas, feel free to let me know. Should be fun, considering I've written mainly longer pieces.**

 **Thanks again**


End file.
